The Washington Nationals will go a full week between winning Game 4 of the NLCS and opening the World Series next Tuesday. Part of the challenge of such a layoff is keeping the team fresh while the ALCS carries on.
Manager Dave Martinez revealed that the Nationals would play a pair of simulated games in the evening to mimic World Series start times to try to get everything right in time for Game 1.
As for bridging the gap between now and the World Series, here's how the Nationals plan to stay fresh: Another light workout tomorrow. Then simulated games/live BP on Sunday + Monday night (to play around when WS games will start).
— Jesse Dougherty (@dougherty_jesse) October 18, 2019
There’s no perfect way to spend a week off before the World Series, but the evening workouts are certainly an interesting wrinkle. The Houston Astros may wind up with a few days off themselves, which would mitigate any disadvantage a layoff might create. On the bright side, it will give Stephen Strasburg all the time he needs to get the partying out of his system.
