Strasburg Pitches Nationals Past Astros to Force Game Seven, 7-2
There will be a Game Seven in the World Series.
Stephen Strasburg dominated the Houston Astros after a rough first inning and Houston native Anthony Rendon had three hits and drove in five runs, leading the Washington Nationals to a 6-2 win over the Astros Tuesday night at Minute Maid Park.
It is the first time in the finals of any major sport (NBA, NHL, MLB) where the visiting team has won the first six games of a series.
Strasburg pitched 8.1 innings, allowing just five hits. He walked two and struck out seven. He retired eleven of the last twelve batters he faced, allowing only an infield single to Alex Bregman in the sixth.
The game turned in a controversial seventh inning with Washington leading 3-2. Yan Gomes singled to right field. Trea Turner then grounded slowly down the third base line. Astros' pitcher Brad Peacock threw to first base and as the ball trickled away, the runners went to second and third. But Turner was called out for batter's interference for running inside the first base line, a call that was upheld after a four and a half minute delay. Turner was out and Gomes had to go back to first. Rendon then followed with his homer. Nationals' manager Dave Martinez was ejected between innings protesting the call.
The Nationals got a run in the first off Astros' starter Justin Verlander when Turner beat out an infield hit and went to second on Adam Eaton's sacrifice bunt. Rendon delivered Turner with a base hit to get the Nats on the board.
But Houston came back against Strasberg in the bottom of the inning when George Springer doubled and went to third on a wild pitch. He scored on Jose' Altuve's sacrifice fly. Alex Bregman then homered to give Houston a 2-1 lead.
The lead lasted until the fifth when Eaton homered down the right field line with one out and after Rendon flied out, Juan Soto uncorked a mammoth homer to right field to give the Nationals the lead they would not relinquish.
The Astros had their final big opportunity in the bottom of the inning when Josh Reddick singled with one out and Springer doubled to put runners on second and third. But Strasburg struck out Altuve and got Michael Brantley on a hard grounder to end the inning.
Washington put the game away in the ninth with a two out rally on a double by Turner, a HBP to Eaton and Rendon's two run double.
The Astros will send Zach Greinke to the mound to try and clinch the series. Washington is expected to start Max Scherzer, who was scratched from his game five start because of neck spasms.