At Houston:
Anthony Rendon (solo) and Howie Kendrick (two-run) each smacked a seventh-inning home run on Wednesday as the Washington Nationals came back from two runs down to overpower the Houston Astros 6-2 on the road in game seven to win the first World Series championship in their 51-year history----and the first world championship for a Washington-based club since 1924.
This marked the first time in Fall Classic history that the road team won every game.
Nats pitcher Stephen Strasburg, who won both of his decisions---including Tuesday's critical game-six victory----was named series Most Valuable Player.
Here's Washington Juan Soto, holding the Commissioners Trophy following his team's historic victory.
USA Today Sports photo by Thomas B. Shea
At Houston:
Stephen Strasburg (that's him here) pitched 8 and 1/3 innings of solid, seven strikeout baseball while Anthony Rendon hit a home run and batted in five runs on Tuesday night as the Washington Nationals squared the World Series at three games apiece following their 7-2 road victory over the Houston Astros.
The Fall Classic, which has seen the visitors win all six games, will be decided on Wednesday night in Houston (5:07 PM Pacific Time, FOX).
USA Today Sports photo by Mike Ehrmann
At Washington:
Garrit Cole pitched seven solid innings of nine-strikeout baseball while George Springer, Yordan Alvarez, and Carlos Correa each belted a home run on Sunday as the Houston Astros again routed the Washington Nationals on the road, this time by seven runs to one to take a three-games-to-one World Series lead after sweeping the three games contested in the Nation's Capital.
The Astros can wrap up their second world championship in three years with a game-six victory at home back in Houston on Tuesday night (5:07 PM Pacific Time, FOX).
Here, we see dejected Nats pitcher Joe Ross, who surrendered four runs on two homers in Sunday's defeat.
USA Today Sports photo by Brad Mills.
At Washington:
Alex Bregman belted a grand-slam home run in the seventh inning to more or less ice the game (he had five runs batted in) on Saturday night as the Houston Astros squared the World Series at two games apiece following their 8-1 game-four road beat-down of the Washington Nationals.
That's Alex, celebrating with teammates here following his four-run round-tripper.
USA Today Sports photo by Brad Mills
At Washington:
Jose Altuve doubled twice (and scoring a run each time afterward) on Friday as the Houston Astros knocked off the Washington Nationals 4-1 in game three of the World Series, spoiling the first Fall Classic contest to take place in the Nation's Capital since 1933, snapping the Nats' MLB record-tying postseason game-winning streak at eight.
After Robinson Chirinos hit a solo home run which added to the Astros' coffers, he is greeted in celebration by the aforementioned Mr. Altuve.
EPA-EFE photo by Erik S. Lesser
At Houston:
Kurt Suzuki hat a go-ahead home run inning in what proved to be a six-run seventh inning as the Washington Nationals annihilated the Houston Astros 12-3 on the road in game two of the World Series, which the Nats now lead two games to none.
After a shaky start, Stephen Stasburg pitched six good innings of two-run, seven strikeout baseball to earn the victory.
The Nationals' Adam Eaton, after belting a two-run eighth-inning home, celebrates with Victor Robles.
Associated Press photo by Matt Slocum
At Houston:
Juan Soto hit a home run (shown here) and a two-run double on Tuesday as the Washington Nationals knocked off the Houston Astros 5-4 on the road in the opening game of the World Series.
USA Today Sports photo by Troy Taormina
At Washington:
With Anthony Rendon and Juan Soto delivering runs batted in and pitcher Patrick Corbin striking out 12 batters, the Washington Nationals, who scored seven runs in the first inning on Tuesday, held off the St. Louis Cardinals 7-4 at home in game four of the National League Championship Series as the Nats swept the Redbirds in four straight games for their first league pennant in their 51-year history (the former Montreal Expos franchise moved to DC prior to the 2005 season).
The Nationals will make their first-ever World Series appearance, the first Fall Classic appearance for a Washington-based club since the American League's original Senators (now the Minnesota Twins) fell to the then-New York Giants in five games in 1933.
Those same Senators produced the city's lone World Series championship in 1924 when they defeated the Giants four games to three.
The Seattle Mariners are now the only active Major League Baseball club to have never reached the World Series.
At St. Louis:
Max Scherzer pitched a no-hitter into the seventh inning as he struck out eleven batters while Adam Eaton (double) and Michael Taylor (homer) each batted in a run as the Washington Nationals stretched their National League Championship Series lead to two games to none on Saturday following their 3-1 game-two road win over the Cardinals.
The Cardinals' Adam Wainwright also struck out eleven batters but turned out to be the hard-luck loser.
At St. Louis:
Anibal Sanchez carried a no-hitter into the eighth inning while Howie Kendrick and Yan Gomes each delivered a run-scoring double on Friday as the Washington Nationals blanked the St. Louis Cardinals 2-0 on the road in the opening game of the National League Championship Series.
Relief man Sean Doolittle retired the last four batters as he and the aforementioned Mr. Sanchez combined on a one-hit shutout.
Here's someone who certainly performed as advertised, or maybe even better, in his Major League Baseball debut.
