World Series: Takeaways from Nationals historic Game 7 win
We look back at the biggest takeaways from Game 7 of the World Series where the Washington Nationals came from behind to win.
The Washington Nationals made history in Game 7 of the World Series by winning the franchise’s first every championship.
But beyond that, they were also the first team to ever have five comeback wins in elimination games in a postseason.
And is that really surprising to anyone at this point?
This team was written off before the midway point of the regular season. People wanted to fire the manager.
And yet this team stayed the course, never lost sight, and in an epic World Series, they came from behind to win again.
After being down 2-0 through the first six innings of the game and the Nationals offense completely silent, they scored 6 runs in the final three innings of the game, while the bullpen held on for the save.
Dave Martinez, the guy everyone wanted to fire early in the season, pushed all of the right buttons with the pitching staff in Game 7.
Meanwhile, Astros manager A.J. Hinch will be questioned for a while for not brining in Gerrit Cole when the Astros had a lead late in the game — despite Cole warming up earlier in the game.
It was a wild finish to a crazy World Series and one that saw the road team win every game.
Let’s take a look at some of the biggest takeaways from the Nationals historic World Series win.
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.
That magical seventh inning
There’s been something about that seventh inning in this World Series for the Washington Nationals.
The Nationals scored 12 runs in the seventh inning in this series (six of them came during that comeback in Game 2).
And once again in Game 7, it was the seventh inning that was the turning point for the Nationals offense.
Let’s not forget that Zack Greinke had held the Nationals offense to just 1 hit and 1 walk through 6 innings in this game. He had the Nationals hitters all off balance.
But he made one mistake to Anthony Rendon leaving a ball over the middle of the plate — literally the only ball he threw over the middle of the plate all game — and Rendon didn’t miss.
He hit a solo home run to cut the Astros lead to 2-1, and it felt like somebody had opened the gates.
Juan Soto followed with a walk, and then came the biggest moment of the game — maybe in Nats history.
CLUTCH!!! OFF THE POLE!
— FOX Sports: MLB (@MLBONFOX) October 31, 2019
Nats take the lead!!! pic.twitter.com/98tb8eKE6F
Howie Kendrick, the NLCS MVP, took Astros reliever Will Smith opposite field for a 2-run home run off the foul pole to give the Nats the lead.
That at-bat changed everything in this game as the Nats offense exploded after that scoring a run in the eighth and two in the ninth.
Pitching decisions
More from District on Deck
- Latest DraftKings Sportsbook Promo Code in Maryland: Bet $5, Win $200 Guaranteed
- Nationals Claim Jeter Downs Off Waivers
- Washington Nationals Minor League Spotlight: Robert Hassell III
- Washington Nationals Tuesday Q&A
- 3 Free Agents the Nationals Should Gamble On
One thing that may get lost in this World Series is the decision made by Dave Martinez to stick with Patrick Corbin.
And subsequently, the decision by Astros manager A.J. Hinch to not stick with Greinke.
Like I mentioned earlier, the Nationals couldn’t touch Greinke for 6 innings. He made one mistake to Rendon and it left the park.
To be honest, Soto had a call go his way that changed that at-bat making it a 3-1 count instead of a 2-2 count. Greinke would then walk Soto and Hinch pulled him.
Not only did Hinch pull Greinke who was rolling, but he didn’t have Gerrit Cole ready and didn’t go to him with the lead in the seventh.
I understand the thinking, that you want Cole to start a fresh inning, but still… that’s a decision that’s going to be questioned for a while.
On the other hand, Martinez got everything he could have asked for out of Scherzer for 5 innings and then went to Corbin.
The lefty came in and was dominant. I’m sure the plan was for Corbin to pitch the sixth and seventh and then hand the ball over to Daniel Hudson or Sean Doolittle.
But Martinez recognized that Corbin was in a groove and left him out there. He didn’t overreact when Corbin gave up a single in the seventh.
And had the Nationals not extended the lead in the top of the ninth, I’m not so sure that he wouldn’t have sent Corbin back out there to start the bottom half.
And those two decisions, while they may seem small, played a huge role in deciding this Game 7.
Next. Nats are World Series Champs!. dark
It happened, folks. The Washington Nationals are World Series champions.