The Washington Nationals have won the 2019 World Series by defeating the Houston Astros. This was an epic World Series matchup that will go down as one of the best series that has ever been played. The Houston Astros came into this series as one of the best teams in MLB history, led by the three-headed pitching monster of CY Young contenders Justin Verlander, Gerrit Cole and Zack Greinke and a high powered offense that lead this team to 107 wins in the regular season and a world series title just two years ago. In the divisional round, the Astros beat the Tampa Bay Rays in five games and then took down the New York Yankees in six games in the American League Championship Series. The Washington Nationals, however, came into this series with a much different story. After starting the season 19-31, the Nationals finished the year with a 93-69 record and secured a wild card spot into the playoffs. Led by pitchers Max Scherzer and Stephen Strasburg, with young stud Juan Soto on offense, the Nationals were a surprise team to win the Wild Card, let alone the World Series. In the Wild Card Game, they were able to defeat the Milwaukee Brewers. They then defeated the Los Angeles Dodgers, who were one of the favorites to win the World Series, in a surprising upset. In the National League Championship Series, the Nationals swept the St. Louis Cardinals to advance to the World Series.
In the first game, the Nationals were able to snatch up a victory to continue their hot streak. The final score ended up being 5-4, Nationals, after five innings of excellent pitching from Scherzer. Game two ended up going to the Nationals by a score of 12-3 after a late flurry of offense that saw six runs scored in the seventh inning. The series then shifted to the nation’s capital, but Houston took game three by a score of 4-1 after a good outing by pitcher Greinke. Game four was another win by the Astros to tie the series at two games a-piece. The Astros bats finally awoke in this game as they were able to put up eight runs compared to just the one run that the Nationals earned. Game five, the Astros bats were once again alive as they put up seven runs and earning a one run seven innings from star pitcher Cole. The series then returned to Houston, where the Astros could clinch a world championship with just one win. However, the Nationals would not back down as they tied the series and set up a win or go home game seven with a 7-2 win and eight innings of fantastic pitching from Strasburg.
Game seven had it all, a pair of CY Young winners in Scherzer and Greinke throwing for their respective teams, back and forth scoring, controversy and two teams battling it out until the end. The Astros struck first with a run in the second inning and in the fifth to take a 2-0 lead. Greinke was pitching the performance of a lifetime until he was pulled in the seventh after allowing two runs. After Greinke was pulled, the Astros went on a complete downward spiral. The Nationals hit in another run in the seventh to take a 3-2 lead, just after Greinke had left. The Nationals then put up three more insurance runs in the eighth and ninth inning to put the game at 6-2. Patrick Corbin put up three innings of almost perfect relief pitching to maintain the Nationals lead. Houston’s bullpen struggled and wasn’t able to contain the Nationals offense. Astros manager A.J. Hinch trusted his bullpen to deliver, but they gave up four of the six runs the Nationals had scored. The entire time, Cole, one of the best pitchers in the game was sitting out in the bullpen with his jacket on. He was warming up around the fifth inning but that was the only time we saw him doing so, even after the bullpen was continuing to give up runs. Being up 6-2 in the bottom of the ninth, Daniel Hudson came out for the Nationals and had three innings to win the World Series for the Nationals.
This is the first World Series title for the Washington Nationals and the first, as a manager, for the second-year skipper Dave Martinez. Stephen Strasburg was awarded as the World Series MVP for his work in two of the Nationals wins. This was also the first finals series in all the four major American sports where the away team won each game. The home crowd didn’t go home happy once this entire series. This was a great world series in which we saw the David defeat Goliath. Could it have turned out differently had Cole come into relief? It’s possible, but we will never know. The only thing that we do know is that the Washington Nationals are the 2019 World Series Champions.
