Washington Nationals Win the 2019 World Series

At approximately 10:50 in Houston, Texas, the Washington Nationals were named World Series Champions.  After a long final game set, they had defeated the Houston Astros 6-2 in Game 7 of the World Series.

Since Preseason baseball started, the Nationals knew this season was going to be a roller coaster of events. They were coached by David Martinez, who only started coaching in 2018. Also, the Nationals lost their star outfielder, Bryce Harper, who signed with division rival the Philadelphia Phillies. Losing Harper, David Martinez knew he had a big whole to fill in the outfield and in the batting order.

Lafayette Senior and lifelong baseball fan Lizam Kalaskas said,”Even though we lost Bryce Harper in the line-up, we still have one of the strongest pitching rotations the league.”  From the start, the Nationals were up and down, finishing with a 93-69 record and securing a spot in the National League Wild Card Game. Going into the playoffs they knew it was going to be a battle, especially if they were to face the Los Angeles Dodgers.

The Nats progressed through the playoffs by beating the Milwaukee Brewers 4-3 in the Wild Card game, only to face the raining National League Champions, the Los Angeles Dodgers. Starting the Division Series in Los Angeles, the series went all the way to a Game 5.

Before Game 5 had started, Lafayette Senior Jacob Golub said, “If the Nationals end up beating the Dodgers, then they are gonna win the World Series. The Dodgers are probably the hardest team the Nationals will face in the playoffs.”

The Nationals ultimately defeated the Dodgers 7-3, advancing further in the playoffs.

Next they faced the Cardinals.  Their determination swept the Cardinals in 4 games, thus moving them  on to the World Series. Pitching was the major key in the series, where they only allowed 6 runs through 4 games while the Nationals outscored them 20-6. With this victory, the Nationals would participate in the 2019 World Series and play for the right to be called World Champions.

This was also the first time the Nationals would participate in a World Series game since changing from the Washington Expos to Washington Nationals following the 2004 season. Having swept the Cardinals, they had to patiently wait to see who they would play from the American League. After going to Game 6, the Houston Astros defeated the New York Yankees, becoming the Washington Nationals last opponent of the 2019 season.

This meant the Washington Nationals had to face one of the best pitching rotations in the American League. Starting in Houston, the Nationals took a 2 game lead and were headed to Washington D.C. to hopefully further their lead and become closer to becoming champions. However, once in Washington, the Nationals lost all three games and were down one game in the series. Going back to Houston one of the big questions was if Max Scherzer would be ok to pitch in Game 7 if necessary. The All-Star pitcher was scheduled to start in Game 5 of the World Series, but was scratched from the line up due to neck spasms. The baseball world was now curious if his health was going to be a factor in who would win the World Series.

Going into Game 6, the Nationals emerged victorious, leaving one last game to see who would come out as champions. That night before Game 7, Scherzer , having been tested to check on his spasms and see if he was eligible to pitch in the final game of the World Series, was approved by doctors and Martinez named Scherzer the starting pitcher for Game 7.

The Nationals were crowned champions and Steven Strasburg was named the World Series MVP.