The Washington Nationals, for much of the night, were dead in the water. And then, appropriately enough, they weren’t.
Anthony Rendon and Howie Kendrick broke through with seventh-inning homers, lifting the Nats to another backs-against-the-wall win, this one for the world title, as Washington defeated the Houston Astros, 6-2, in Game 7 of the 2019 World Series.
Zach Greinke had been dominant through six innings, allowing just one Nationals hit, a second-inning single to Juan Soto, as the Astros built a 2-0 lead.
With one out in the seventh, Rendon sent a 1-0 changeup from Greinke into the seats in left to make it 2-1.
After Greinke walked Juan Soto, Houston manager A.J. Hinch went to his bullpen, calling in setup man Will Harris to face Howie Kendrick.
Down in the count 0-1, Kendrick drove a cutter from Harris, actually located well, knees, outside corner, down the right-field line.
The ball hit the foul pole in right: the two-run homer made it 3-2 Washington, and suddenly, a Nats team that had trailed all night was up for the first time.
Max Scherzer, who had been scratched from his scheduled Game 5 start due to neck stiffness, went five innings for Washington, giving up two runs on seven hits, striking out three and walking four, and stranding nine Houston baserunners.
Patrick Corbin took over for Scherzer in the sixth, and ended up giving the Nats three innings in relief, giving up two hits, striking out three.
The Nationals added a run in the eighth on a two-out RBI single by Soto that made it 4-2.
Corbin put Houston down in order in the bottom of the eight to send the game to the ninth with Washington still up two.
An Adam Eaton two-run single added important insurance runs in the ninth.
Closer Daniel Hudson put Houston down in order in the ninth, getting Michael Brantley to strike out swinging on a 3-2 slider to end it.
The championship is the first for a Washington team since the Senators won the 1924 World Series.
The win was the fourth road victory for Washington in the 2019 World Series, a Series record.
The 2019 World Series is the first championship series in American sports to go seven games and have wins in all seven games by the road team.
Stephen Strasburg was named the 2019 World Series MVP at the conclusion of a postseason that saw him go 5-0 in six appearances, including five starts, including posting a 2-0 record in the Series.
And, yes, the win concluded an improbable run for a Nats team that started the season with a 19-31 record, had to rally to win the NL Wild Card Game, then rally from a 2-1 deficit in the NLDS to the Los Angeles Dodgers, including being down 3-1 in the Game 5 clincher at Dodger Stadium, before needing to win the final two games on the road in Minute Maid Park against a Houston team that had won 107 games in the 2019 regular season, and had gone 60-21 at home in the regular season.
A championship parade is to come. It’s a good day, Nats fans.
Story by Chris Graham
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