Wire Taps: Washington Nationals need to win to play another day; Stephen Strasburg faces Houston Astros; World Series Game 6 tonight

It’s win-or-go-home time again, for the fourth time this postseason. Will the Washington Nationals live to play another day? Will Stephen Strasburg lead the way? Will the Astros continue to hold Nats’ hitters at bay? Will the road field advantage continue into Game 6? Will Kurt Suzuki start tonight? Will we ever stop asking questions and get to the links? Go read your links...

NATS BEAT:

Scherzer’s Status:

Max Scherzer injury update: Status for Game 7 could impact Game 6 - (WaPost)
"As of Monday afternoon, when Manager Dave Martinez held a conference call with reporters, Martinez only offered that he had not yet spoken to Scherzer."

Nats head back to Houston uncertain of Scherzer's status - (MASN)
"A 48-hour wait would prevent Scherzer from attempting to throw until Tuesday afternoon, shortly before Game 6. It’s an awfully tight window for the Nationals to know whether he’ll be ready to go."

Suzuki’s Status:

Suzuki updates hip flexor injury: 'It's getting better' - (MASN)
"Nationals catcher Kurt Suzuki updated his status for Game 6 of the World Series after sitting out two games with a hip flexor injury."

World Series Game 6:

'Far from over': Nats ready for another must-win - (MLB.com)
"Here the Nationals are again, facing an uphill battle to dig themselves out of a hole and save their season."

Nationals need contact to translate by 'millimeters' into base hits - (Washington Times)`
"For a sport so entrenched in new-age analytics that can quantify most any event on the field, baseball paradoxically leaves its stars often chalking up a poor stretch of performances to plain old bad luck."

5 reasons Nationals should still have hope - (MLB.com)
"If you’re a Nats fan looking for some hope on this off-day, allow me to fill your cup with the brew of unfettered optimism."

What's behind the Nats' offensive drop-off? - (MLB.com)
"After breaking out for a dozen runs in Game 2, they scored one per night in Games 3-5 to put themselves on the brink of elimination."

Stras carrying weight of World ... he's used to it - (MLB.com)
"It’s in Stephen Strasburg’s hands -- the season, the Series and, soon, the contractual opt-out decision."

NATIONAL(S) BEAT:

World Series: Nationals navigating through playoffs using six pitchers - (USA TODAY)
"Come Tuesday night at Minute Maid Park, the Washington Nationals will stare down elimination for the fourth time this postseason..."

World Series -- Six key questions heading into Game 6 - (ESPN)
"We asked three of our national baseball writers -- Jeff Passan, David Schoenfield and Bradford Doolittle -- some of the burning questions heading into Tuesday night's Game 6."

World Series: How Nationals can still win it all vs. Astros - (Sports Illustrated)
"First, let’s state the obvious: The Nationals’ current position isn’t ideal."

How Max Scherzer’s Injury Affects the Rest of the World Series - (The Ringer)
"The spasms had come and gone for a few days, Scherzer said, and he thought he’d found a way to pitch through it, but by Sunday morning, he was so stiff he couldn’t even dress himself."