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World Series: Takeaways from Nationals historic Game 7 win

By Jake Mastroianni

HOUSTON, TEXAS - OCTOBER 30: Max Scherzer #31 of the Washington Nationals delivers the pitch against the Houston Astros during the second inning in Game Seven of the 2019 World Series at Minute Maid Park on October 30, 2019 in Houston, Texas. (Photo by Mike Ehrmann/Getty Images)
HOUSTON, TEXAS - OCTOBER 30: Max Scherzer #31 of the Washington Nationals delivers the pitch against the Houston Astros during the second inning in Game Seven of the 2019 World Series at Minute Maid Park on October 30, 2019 in Houston, Texas. (Photo by Mike Ehrmann/Getty Images) /
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HOUSTON, TEXAS – OCTOBER 30: Max Scherzer #31 of the Washington Nationals delivers the pitch against the Houston Astros during the second inning in Game Seven of the 2019 World Series at Minute Maid Park on October 30, 2019 in Houston, Texas. (Photo by Mike Ehrmann/Getty Images)
HOUSTON, TEXAS – OCTOBER 30: Max Scherzer #31 of the Washington Nationals delivers the pitch against the Houston Astros during the second inning in Game Seven of the 2019 World Series at Minute Maid Park on October 30, 2019 in Houston, Texas. (Photo by Mike Ehrmann/Getty Images) /

Gutty performance

I can’t say enough about the performance from Max Scherzer in Game 7. We all know he wasn’t feeling great — and probably hasn’t for a while now — but he gave it everything he had and kept his team in the game for 5 innings.

Much like in Game 1, Scherzer labored through those 5 innings. He didn’t have a single 1-2-3 inning in Game 7. And he only had 3 strikeouts.

His final line looked like this: 5 IP, 2 ER, 7 H, 4 BB, 3 K

This was the only start all year that he pitched at least 5 innings and had fewer than 4 strikeouts.

While Scherzer bent often in this game, he never broke. He held the Astros hitters to just 1-for-8 with runners in scoring position and they stranded nine runners on base while Scherzer was on the mound.

Again, I really can’t say enough about what Max Scherzer did for the Nationals in this game. To go out there without your best stuff and command and to hold that lineup to just 2 runs in 5 innings — just like he did in Game 1 — is amazing.

It wasn’t a World Series performance that will get remembered for years to come — oustide of Nationals fans — but we all know just how big it was for the ace to go out there banged up and deliver.

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