The Washington Nationals defeated the Houston Astros 6-2 in Game 7 of the World Series to win their franchise's first championship. The Nationals' origins date back 50 years when they began as the Montreal Expos. This marks the first World Series in which the road team won every game.
Stephen Strasburg, who was the winning pitcher in Games 2 & 6, was named the World Series MVP. In 14.1 innings pitched, Strasburg allowed 4 runs on 12 hits striking out 14 while walking only three batters.
Washington, D.C. will have its first World Series parade since 1924 when the original Washington Senators bested the New York Giants in seven games.
On Memorial Day weekend, a World Series parade was the furthest thing from the minds of Nats fans. They were 19-31, 10 games back of the Philadelphia Phillies now featuring Bryce Harper and only 1.5 games ahead of the Miami Marlins.
Instead, the Nats went 74-38 to earn a NL Wild Card berth. They came from behind to defeat the Milwaukee Brewers in the NL Wild Card game, came back from a 2-1 deficit against back to back NL champion Los Angeles Dodgers in the NLDS, swept the St. Louis Cardinals in the NLCS and defeated the heavily favored Houston Astros in the Fall Classic.
Facing elimination in both Games 6 & 7, the Nats came back from behind. In Game 6, Nationals shortstop Trea Turner was called out on a controversial interference call in the 7th inning which resulted the ejection of manager Dave Martinez. Anthony Rendon rose the occasion with a home run later in the inning and a two run double in the ninth.
Tonight, Zack Greinke was outduelling Max Scherzer who had been scratched from his start in Game 5 due to neck spasms. Scherzer gave up a solo HR to Yuli Gurriel in the 2nd and a RBI single to Carlos Correa in the fifth. Greinke entered the 7th with a 2-0 lead having allowed one hit. But Rendon rose to the occasion with a solo HR to cut the lead to 2-1. After issuing a walk to Juan Soto, Greinke was lifted in favor of Will Harris. On his very first pitch, Harris surrendered an opposite field off the foul pole to Howie Kendrick to give the Nats a 3-2 lead. This is the same Kendrick who hit a grand slam off Clayton Kershaw in the NLDS. Some thought Astros manager should have put in Gerrit Cole instead. But Kendrick could have just as easily homered off Cole as he did off Harris or for that matter Kershaw. Second guessing never goes out of style even if it lacks substance.
The Nats added a run in the 8th on a Soto single and two runs in the 9th on a single by Adam Eaton. Patrick Corbin pitched three scoreless innings in relief of Scherzer before giving way to Daniel Hudson. On July 13th, right before the All-Star Break, Dad and I saw Hudson earn a save at Yankee Stadium for the Toronto Blue Jays. No one in Yankee Stadium, least of all Hudson, thought Hudson would be on the mound in the 9th inning of Game 7 of the World Series. Eighteen days later, Hudson was traded to the Nats. Almost exactly three months later, Hudson got George Springer to pop out to second and struck out both Jose Altuve and Michael Brantley to give Washington a World Series trophy.
The Astros have nothing to be ashamed of. They won 107 games and came within a game of winning their second World Series title in three years. Chances are we have not heard the last of the Astros.
But the hour belongs to the Washington Nationals. Right now they are the best in baseball. And for at least a few days there will be good news in Washington, D.C.
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