World Series 2019: Remaining Dates, Schedule, Ticket Info and Prediction

The Washington Nationals appear to have history on their side in the 2019 World Series. 

According to Baseball Reference, teams that won the first two Fall Classic contests on the road are 10-3 in the series, with the 1999 New York Yankees the last team to do it. 

There could be some tempered excitement since three of the last four squads to earn a 2-0 road lead lost, but the Nationals are on an eight-game winning streak and have shown no signs of slowing down. 

On Tuesday and Wednesday, Dave Martinez's side handed losses to Gerrit Cole and Justin Verlander, who became the first pair of 20-game winners to lose World Series Games 1 and 2 at home, and the first duo overall since Don Drysdale and Sandy Koufax on the 1965 Los Angeles Dodgers, per Stats Inc. 

Houston sits in a rough spot, as only 13 teams have rebounded from an 0-2 postseason series deficit, with the last World Series occurrence coming in 1996, per MLB.com's Chad Thornburg. 

World Series Schedule

Game 3: Friday, October 25, at Washington (8:07 p.m., Fox) 

Game 4: Saturday, October 26, at Washington (8:07 p.m., Fox) 

Game 5: Sunday, October 27, at Washington (8:07 p.m., Fox, if necessary) 

Game 6: Tuesday, October 29, at Houston (8:07 p.m., Fox, if necessary) 

Game 7: Wednesday, October 30, at Houston (8:08 p.m., Fox, if necessary) 

Available tickets for each game can be found on StubHub.

Prediction

Washington over Houston in 5

Matt Slocum/Associated Press

Houston's path to multiple victories is littered with hurdles. 

First off, neither of its aces will be available until Game 4 at the earliest, but that would require Cole and Verlander to start on short rest. 

The Astros were outscored 17-7 at home and made a litany of mistakes in Game 2 to allow the Nationals to open up a 10-run advantage. 

"Clearly, the Nats have outplayed us, bottom line," Astros manager AJ Hinch said, per MLB.com's Anthony Castrovince. "They came into our building and played two really good games."

Game 3 starter Zack Greinke has not been a lock-down postseason hurler like Houston hoped he would be when it acquired him from Arizona at the trade deadline. 

Greinke reached the sixth inning once in three playoff appearances, and even though he gave up one earned run in ALCS Game 4, he was removed in the fifth with 83 pitches. 

If the 36-year-old fails to produce a quality start, the Astros bullpen could be maxed out with the potential of an opener being used in Game 4, similar to ALCS Game 6. 

Washington scored seven runs off Houston's relievers at Minute Maid Park, so that strategy may not be successful for the 2017 World Series champion. 

The Nationals produced 32 runs in their last four games, with 15 of those coming in NLCS Games 3 and 4 at home. 

Adam Eaton and Juan Soto have four hits versus the Astros, while the unlikely pair of Asdrubal Cabrera and Ryan Zimmerman picked up three each. 

The contributions from all parts of the lineup allowed the Nationals to break open Game 2, and have plenty of fun in the dugout while doing so. 

"We've got a great group of guys here, a great team, everybody pitches in," Nationals catcher Kurt Suzuki said, per MLB.com's Richard Justice, "and we have a good time."

With most of the pressure shifted to Houston to win Friday, the Nationals should have a loose approach at the plate that may help them chase Greinke early. 

Washington also holds a pitching advantage with Anibal Sanchez starting Game 3 and Patrick Corbin possibly throwing Game 4. 

Sanchez is coming off an NLCS Game 1 gem in which he took a no-hitter into the eighth, while Corbin struck out 12 in his last start and posted a scoreless frame in Game 1. 

With so much going in their favor, it is hard to see the Nationals dropping two or three games at home to send the series back to Houston. 

                 

Follow Joe on Twitter, @JTansey90.

Statistics obtained from Baseball Reference.