By Adith Gopal After the Washington Nationals swept the St. Louis Cardinals in the National League Championship Series, they faced the Houston Astros, who beat the New York Yankees in six games in the American League Championship Series. The first game of the 2019 World Series took place in Houston, as the Astros had home-field advantage. Both teams started their aces in Game one, with the Nationals starting three-time Cy Young winner Max Scherzer and the Astros starting Gerrit Cole, the AL ERA leader and MLB strikeout leader. What was thought to be a pitching masterclass in Game one turned to be a 5-4 victory for Washington, with Cole lasting for seven innings while Scherzer lasted for five innings. Nationals 1B Ryan Zimmerman and OF Juan Soto each hit a home run off of Cole and Soto became the youngest player to ever hit a home run in the World Series. Game two was supposed to be another amazing pitching duel, with the Nationals’ Stephen Strasburg took on the Astros’ Justin Verlander in Houston. Yet again, this game turned offensive. Both starters were removed in the seventh inning, with Verlander exiting after giving up three runs and Strasburg giving up two. The Nationals scored 10 runs in the final three innings to blow out the Astros 12-3, giving Washington a 2-0 lead. The World Series headed to Washington DC for Game three, with Zack Greinke starting for Houston and Aníbal Sánchez starting for the Nationals. In a low-scoring affair, the Astros won 4-1 thanks primarily to a two-run double from Astros 2B and six-time All-Star Jose Altuve. Houston cut their series deficit to 2-1. Game four also took place in DC, with Washington’s Patrick Corbin facing Houston’s José Urquidy. Houston rattled Corbin the entire night and won handily 8-1. After struggling mightily the entire series, Astros 3B and Silver Slugger Alex Bregman popped off, going 3-5 with a grand slam and five RBIs, just after Astros SS Carlos Correa claimed that the slugger would “go off” in Game after struggling the entire series. Houston tied the series at 2-2. Game five in Washington saw Cole come back to pitch for the Astros, while Joe Ross started for Washington. Scherzer was originally the intended starter but suffered neck spasms in the pregame. Houston rocked Ross as he gave up four runs in the five innings he pitched, while Cole threw as masterfully as he had for most of the season: throwing seven innings, giving up only one run and three hits and striking out nine. Houston took the series lead at 3-2, one game away from winning the series. Game six headed back to Houston with a pitching rematch of Game two, seeing Strasburg and Verlander on the mound. However, Verlander struggled yet again, giving up three runs in his five innings pitched, and the Nationals won 7-2, tying the series at 3-3. For the 40th time in MLB history, the World Series is heading to a deciding Game seven, with the game in Houston. Scherzer pitched for Washington, returning from his neck spasms earlier this series, while Greinke pitched for Houston. This was the first Game seven ever where both starters were Cy Young winners. In a tense atmosphere, the Nationals won 6-2 mainly due to homers from 3B Anthony Rendon and 2B Howie Kendrick. The 2019 MLB season ends with the Nationals winning their first World Series Championship ever, with Strasburg winning World Series MVP.
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Dylan EdelmanWilson Senior Archives
February 2020
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