Washington Forces Game 7 Of The World Series With Win In Houston

The World Series isn’t over till it’s over.

Game 6 at Minute Maid Park on Tuesday night was epic. It was classic. It was captivating. And the Nationals -- buoyed by native Houstonian Anthony Rendon’s five-RBI night, Juan Soto’s second-deck tiebreaker blast and the premier pitching of Strasburg on the biggest stage of his career -- won it, 7-2. The game that had a little bit of everything has given the baseball universe the greatest gift of all. “according to https://www.mlb.com/astros/news/justin-verlander-remains-winless-in-world-series

Never in World Series history had the road team won the first six games. The Nats, after squandering their 2-0 lead in the best-of-seven with a wasted weekend in D.C., completed the feat by taking it to Justin Verlander (who remains winless in his World Series career), and, perhaps, taking back the momentum in a Series that defies explanation. “according to https://www.mlb.com/astros/news/justin-verlander-remains-winless-in-world-series

One surprise early in this one was Alex Bregman boldly carrying his bat all the way down the first-base line while beginning his trot after his solo homer off Strasburg gave Houston, a win away from its second title in three seasons, a 2-1 lead. The Nationals had taken a quick 1-0 lead on Rendon’s RBI single in the first, but the Astros answered by manufacturing a run after George Springer’s leadoff double and then with Bregman’s no-doubt-about-it blast to the Crawford Boxes. That Bregman celebrated his swat in a way that rubs against the game’s more conservative customs certainly drew the attention of the Nats -- and Soto, in particular. “according to https://www.mlb.com/astros/news/justin-verlander-remains-winless-in-world-series

The Nationals had squandered opportunities with two runners aboard in the third and fourth innings. But in the sixth, Adam Eaton, who had helped set up the first-inning run with a sacrifice bunt, did something bigger and better than bunting by belting a game-tying solo homer to right on an 0-1 slider that hung over the middle. “according to https://www.mlb.com/astros/news/justin-verlander-remains-winless-in-world-series

One out later, it was the 21-year-old Soto who strode to the plate. He worked the count to 3-1, then absolutely destroyed Verlander’s 96 mph offering in the upper reaches of the strike zone for a 413-foot wallop to a far-off land known as Section 253. Soto seized the opportunity for a first-of-its-kind retaliatory bat delivery to first-base coach Tim Bogar. “accotrding to https://www.mlb.com/astros/news/justin-verlander-remains-winless-in-world-series

Suddenly, debates about bat flips are passé. Bat deliveries are here to ruffle feathers. “according to https://www.mlb.com/nationals/news/nationals-stephen-strasburg-win-world-series-game-6 “according to https://www.mlb.com/astros/news/justin-verlander-remains-winless-in-world-series

“[Bregman] shouldn't carry the bat past first base,” Houston manager AJ Hinch said. “Soto shouldn't carry it to first base, either.” “according to https://www.mlb.com/nationals/news/nationals-stephen-strasburg-win-world-series-game-6

o outs, Trea Turner hit a weak grounder toward third base. “accotrding to https://www.mlb.com/nationals/news/nationals-stephen-strasburg-win-world-series-game-6

Plate umpire Sam Holbrook called Turner out for interfering with the fielder taking the throw, and Nationals manager Dave Martinez protested, leading to a four-minute, 32-second discussion of the rule (not the call itsef, as that was an unreviewable judgment call) though the call went unchanged.”according to https://www.mlb.com/nationals/news/nationals-stephen-strasburg-win-world-series-game-6

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“The ruling was that Trea Turner interfered, basically -- not basically, he interfered with the first baseman trying to make a play,” MLB chief baseball officer Joe Torre explained postgame. “In fact, [Yuli] Gurriel's glove even came off at that point in time. He did run to the fair side of those 45-foot lines, but really the violation was when he kept Gurriel from being able to catch the ball at first base.””according to https://www.mlb.com/nationals/news/nationals-stephen-strasburg-win-world-series-game-6

One batter later, Rendon hit a two-run homer off reliever Will Harris, who had relieved Brad Peacock, so the play wound up not affecting the outcome. Between innings, Martinez was ejected, becoming the first manager ejected in a World Series game since Atlanta’s Bobby Cox in Game 6 in 1996. But Washington kept adding on in the ninth, with Rendon delivering a two-run double to make it 7-2 and further confirming that the road dominance in this Series has not gone away. “according to https://www.mlb.com/nationals/news/nationals-stephen-strasburg-win-world-series-game-6

“We're going to continue to try to ride this wave as long as possible,” Rendon said. “Maybe they enjoy our park, and maybe we enjoy their park. We're not going to ask questions, we're just going to try to go out there and just have some fun.””according to https://www.mlb.com/nationals/news/nationals-stephen-strasburg-win-world-series-game-6

In postseason history, including all series and Wild Card Games, home teams are only 57-60 in winner-take-all games. That includes 19-20 in the World Series, where home teams have lost three straight Game 7s -- most recently the Dodgers to the Astros in 2017 -- after winning each of the previous nine going back to 1982. “according to https://www.mlb.com/nationals/news/nationals-stephen-strasburg-win-world-series-game-6

Meanwhile Houston had a setback in game six and couldn’t clinch their second world series championship in two years while Justin Verlander still doesn’t have a World Series win. The right -hander is 0-6 career record in the World Series. “according to https://www.mlb.com/astros/news/justin-verlander-remains-winless-in-world-series “according to https://www.mlb.com/astros/news/justin-verlander-remains-winless-in-world-series

In Game 6, Verlander was not the same as he was in Game 2, although the result was. He didn’t have a great feel for his offspeed pitches, and the Nationals were able to capitalize. Verlander gave up a tough-luck run in the first inning before Adam Eaton and Juan Soto blasted solo homers in the fifth inning. Verlander needed 93 pitches to get through five innings.”according to https://www.mlb.com/astros/news/justin-verlander-remains-winless-in-world-series

Verlander managed only 10 swinging strikes (10.7 percent) in Game 6 after 21 swinging strikes in 107 pitches (19.6 percent) in his Game 2 start, also a loss. Only three of the swings and misses on Tuesday came on his breaking pitches.”according to https://www.mlb.com/astros/news/justin-verlander-remains-winless-in-world-series

Verlander threw at least 18 pitches in each inning, except for a 1-2-3 second in which he threw 12. The third inning, though he didn’t give up a run, proved to take the most out of him. With two outs, Verlander walked Eaton on seven pitches and then Rendon on 10 pitches, driving up his pitch count to 56 through three innings.”according to https://www.mlb.com/astros/news/justin-verlander-remains-winless-in-world-series

“I think their whole lineup in general does such a great job working pitches and working counts and giving you tough at-bats,” Verlander said. “That was definitely an inning that was pretty taxing.” “according to https://www.mlb.com/astros/news/justin-verlander-remains-winless-in-world-series

Clinging to a 2-1 lead entering the fifth, a tiring Verlander gave up a solo homer to Eaton on an 0-1 slider before Soto hit a mammoth 413-foot blast into the upper deck in right field one out later to put Washington ahead, 3-2. “according to https://www.mlb.com/astros/news/justin-verlander-remains-winless-in-world-series

“I think we were just trying to be aggressive in the zone, kind of the same approach that we've tried to have all season,” Rendon said. “Try not to fish too much at baseballs, at sliders in the dirt, offspeeds or whatever it might be. If we try to stay within ourselves and try to swing at pitches that we can put a good swing on and not give in, not give in any strikes, I think that we could try to knock around any pitcher. And we just happened to get to him a little bit today.””according to https://www.mlb.com/astros/news/justin-verlander-remains-winless-in-world-series

Verlander, who threw 258 1/3 innings combined in the regular season and postseason this year, fell to 0-6 with a 5.68 ERA in seven career starts in the World Series, four of which have come with Houston. Winning a game in the Fall Classic is perhaps the one career achievement that continues to elude him.”according to https://www.mlb.com/astros/news/justin-verlander-remains-winless-in-world-series

Washington and Houston will play game seven to decide the World Series Champion in 2019 on Wednesday night at Minute Maid Park.