The 2019 World Series was loaded with surprises, comebacks, superstars, and a few new records. Home field advantage belonged to the 105-win Houston Astros, who were looking to take back a title they had won in 2017. The white-hot Washington Nationals were fighting for the first championship in franchise history. The Washington Nationals beat the Houston Astros in a most unpredictable Fall Classic, winning Game 7 with one last rally in a season full of rallies. For the first time in MLB history, the road team won all seven games in the World Series. These Nationals began their season on the brink, starting 19-31 before shifting into high gear with a baseball-best record of 74-38 down the stretch. Manager Dave Martinez battled a health scare while leading a roster balanced with experience and youthfulness that was tweaked for October by Mike Rizzo, General Manager&President of Baseball Operations. The National League Wild Card game and NLDS looked much like the regular season for the Nationals– down early, but coming back to win elimination games. Then they swept the surprising but outmatched St. Louis Cardinals in the NLCS to setup a showdown with the Astros. Willie Mays World Series MVP Stephen Strasburg, Max Scherzer, and Patrick Corbin combined to win all four games played on the road. Superstars Anthony Rendon and Juan Soto delivered crushing blows throughout the series. Big plays and even bigger hits continuously poured in from veterans Kurt Suzuki, Adam Eaton, Howie Kendrick, and Nationals first-ever draft pick Ryan Zimmerman, who helped return Major League Baseball to Washington, D.C. in 2005. Fight finished.
