Game 3 of World Series to no longer feature duel of former Diamondbacks

Game 3 of the World Series between the Houston Astros and the Washington Nationals was set up to be a perfect storm for Arizona fans.

Former Diamondback pitchers Zack Greinke (Houston) and Patrick Corbin (Washington) are both the No. 3 starters on their current teams and were expected to square off on the biggest stage in the sport.

But around the fifth inning of Game 1, Corbin began to throw in the Nationals’ bullpen.

Perhaps it was his day to throw to keep his arm fresh, but he was put into the game to start the bottom of the sixth.

He tossed 21 pitches and left the inning unscathed after allowing one hit.

The third game of the series is on Friday, and Washington manager Dave Martinez announced that right-hander Anibal Sanchez will start on the bump, as reported by the Washington Post’s Jesse Dougherty on Wednesday.

Sam Fortier, also with the Washington Post, reported that Game 4’s starter is TBD for the Nats.

This indicates that Corbin could fit into that slot, or be seen out of the pen again leading up to Saturday’s Game 4.

As a starter this postseason, Corbin has had some rough outings. His ERA is 6.91 in the playoffs.

Meanwhile, Sanchez has allowed one run in 12.2 frames this October.

The decision to use Corbin out of the bullpen could make the Nats more flexible and maybe give them a security blanket.

If Sanchez has a rocky start in Game 3, then Martinez could turn to Corbin instead of relying on relievers for the majority of the game. If Sanchez does well, then Corbin could get the Game 4 start and Max Scherzer (another former D-back) gets another day to rest for Sunday’s Game 5.

Regardless, the Greinke-Corbin dual is scrapped. Perhaps Corbin will get some action in relief while Greinke is still in, allowing Arizona fans to pick which former D-back to root for.

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