Right hander Anibal Sanchez will take the mound as the Nationals starting pitcher for Game 1 of the National League Championship Series against the St. Louis Cardinals. Manager Davey Martinez announced in the wake of their epic Game 5 win in the NLDS over the Los Angeles Dodgers.
Game 1 will be Friday, eliminating both Stephen Strasburg who started Game 5 of the NLDS and lefty Patrick Corbin, who worked 1 1/3 innings out of the bullpen in the same game. Max Scherzer started Monday’s Game 4, which would have left him just three days rest.
Sanchez started Game 3 of the NLDS Sunday for the Nationals, pitching five innings while allowing one earned run, four hits and two walks along with nine strikeouts.
The Nationals have had confidence in Sanchez much of the season after he bounced back in the second half of the season.
Sanchez pitched one game against the Cardinals during the regular season, allowing three runs and five hits while walking two and striking out seven in a loss.
Miles Mikolas will start Game 1 for the Cardinals. He pitched in two games and started one in the NLDS against the Atlanta Braves, posting a 1.50 ERA allowing one run and three hits while walking two and striking out two in six innings.
Martinez said he will wait until the team arrives in St. Louis to fill out the remainder of the rotation.
The Nationals skipper also did not shoot down the idea of deploying starters out of the bullpen like he did in the NLDS.
