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Roberto Osuna pitched the eighth inning for Houston, when Juan Soto batted in Adam Eaton with two outs to give Washington a two-run lead. The Nationals extended their lead to 6–2 in the ninth inning, with two runs scoring on a one-out single by Eaton with the bases loaded. This was the first World Series appearance for the franchise that began its existence as the Montreal Expos in 1969, and moved to Washington, D.C.
"Multiple players have hit more home runs in a season, but in many people's eyes, Aaron Judge is the true record-holder," read a statement by Goldin executive chairman and founder Ken Goldin to ESPN. "The fact that this is the second-highest total ever paid for a baseball speaks to the respect that fans and collectors have for Aaron. BoxscoreThe ceremonial first pitch was thrown out by a Nationals Youth Baseball Academy scholar-athlete. Patrick Corbin started for the Nationals and José Urquidy started for the Astros.
Team Pitching
On September 28, Verlander struck out Kole Calhoun of the Los Angeles Angels to register both his 3000th career strikeout and 300th on the season. Verlander and Cole became the second teammate duo since Randy Johnson and Curt Schilling with the 2002 Arizona Diamondbacks to reach 300 strikeouts. For the month of July, Gurriel batted .398, .427 OBP, .837 SLG, 18 runs scored, seven doubles, 12 home runs, 31 RBIs over 24 games. On March 24, 2019, the Astros signed right-handed pitcher Justin Verlander to a two-year, $66 million contract extension to keep him with Houston through the 2021 season. J. Hinch as manager and Jeff Luhnow as general manager; both were fired in January 2020 after MLB investigators confirmed that the team had used electronics to steal opponents’ signs back in the 2017 regular season.
The two teams share a spring training site in West Palm Beach, Florida, and opened the 2019 spring training schedule against each other. This was the second World Series to feature two expansion teams, the first being in 2015 between the Kansas City Royals and the New York Mets. For the first time in any of the major North American sports leagues, the visiting team won all the games of a seven-game championship series, surpassing the previous high of five. It was the sixth straight World Series in which the championship was clinched by the visiting team.
Postseason
He was just one of the many top-flight starting pitchers who threw in this Fall Classic. The Astros also clinched home field advantage throughout the MLB postseason on September 28. Please note that players may not be in the uniform of the correct team in these images. Prior to signing his contract extension, Judge had told reporters in November that he did not plan to bid on the ball at auction. The ball was sold through collectibles marketplace Goldin by Cory Youmans, who caught the record-setting ball during the Yankees' Oct. 4 game against the Texas Rangers.
The following game, Álvarez again homered, this time versus Matt Albers of the Milwaukee Brewers. The ball from New York Yankees star Aaron Judge's American League record-setting 62nd home run of the 2022 season sold for $1.5 million with a buyer's premium on Saturday night. According to ESPN, the ball is the second most expensive baseball ever to be sold at auction.
Game 2
With no additional scoring through the middle of the ninth, the Astros brought in closer Roberto Osuna to pitch the bottom of the ninth. Osuna allowed a one-out single to Adam Eaton, but otherwise retired the Nationals; Juan Soto struck out looking to end the Nationals’ eight-game playoff winning streak. Osuna earned his second save this postseason, as Houston narrowed Washington's lead in the series to 2–1. This became the first World Series to begin with three games won by the road team since 1996, when the first five games were won by the road team. In April 9 game against the New York Yankees, José Altuve connected for his 100th career home run off Jonathan Loáisiga in a 6–3 win.
For the first time in major North American sports history, the visiting team won all seven games of a best-of-seven postseason series. In championship series of the NBA, NHL, and MLB contested during 2019, road teams compiled an overall 17–3 record. Additionally, the Nationals became the first team to win the World Series in their first appearance since 2002, when the Anaheim Angels accomplished the feat by defeating the San Francisco Giants in seven games. Verlander exited after five innings, having allowed three runs on five hits while striking out three batters.
References
With this 10-K performance, Verlander surpassed 200 strikeouts in a season for the ninth time in his career. He joined Nolan Ryan, Randy Johnson, Roger Clemens, Tom Seaver, Pedro Martinez, and Bob Gibson as the only pitchers with nine or more seasons of 200+ strikeouts. Álvarez became the fourth player in MLB history to hit four home runs in his first five career games when he homered off Clayton Richard of the Toronto Blue Jays, joining Trevor Story, Yasiel Puig and Mike Jacobs. On June 23, Álvarez hit a 2-run home run for his seventh home run of the season in only 12 games, establishing an Astros franchise record. He also became the first player in MLB history to drive in 16 runs in his first 12 games.
The Nationals were one of two teams to qualify for the playoffs as a wild card team from the National League. Martinez had missed three games in September due to a cardiac catheterization procedure to treat angina. With no further scoring, the Astros evened the series, 2–2, ensuring a sixth game in Houston. This was the fifth time a World Series started with the road team winning the first four games, the most recent occurrence having been 1996.
Juan Soto led off the top of the fourth inning with a home run to tie the game, 2–2. Soto became the fourth-youngest player to hit a home run in a World Series; Andruw Jones in 1996 was the youngest to date. Adam Eaton batted in a run in the top of the fifth inning, followed two batters later by a Soto two-run double, giving the Nationals a 5–2 lead. Their first opponent in the postseason was determined by the American League Wild Card Game, which saw the Tampa Bay Rays defeat the Oakland Athletics. In the best-of-five American League Division Series, the top-seeded Astros defeated fifth-seeded Tampa Bay in five games, with each game of the series being won by the home team. The Astros' opponent in the best-of-seven American League Championship Series was the second-seeded New York Yankees, who had defeated the Minnesota Twins in their playoff series, three games to none.
There are promotional nights sprinkled throughout the season with eight different bobblehead giveaways, including a Jose Altuve/Tony Kemp duel "Hugs For Homers" bobblehead. This first homestand only has one night of freebies for the fans with the team passing out schedule magnets for everyone through the door for Friday night's home opener. Stick around after the game to watch The Field of Dreams on the field.
Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the Nationals were not able to properly celebrate their 2019 championship the following season, as spectators were not allowed in the stands during the shortened season. They raised their championship banner in front of an empty Nationals Park on the first day of the 2020 season, and received their championship rings in the clubhouse rather than on the field in front of the fans. Struggling at the trade deadline in 2021, the Nationals engaged in a large-scale selloff of top players who had led them to the championship. The Nationals became the first team to trade three players who were All-Stars before the end of the season, which included starting pitcher Max Scherzer, outfielder Kyle Schwarber, and shortstop Trea Turner. They also traded off important pieces from their World Series team, such as catcher Yan Gomes and reliever Daniel Hudson. By the end of 2021, only a handful of players from the 2019 championship team were still with the club.
On September 8, Gerrit Cole struck out 15 batters over eight innings in a 2–1 victory over the Seattle Mariners. He became just the second pitcher to strike out 14 or more hitters in three consecutive games, joining Pedro Martínez in 1999. It was the sixth outing of the season of at least 10 strikeouts and no walks for Cole, tying the major league record. The 15 strikeouts tied Verlander's Minute Maid Park record, set earlier in the season on June 12 versus the Brewers. It was Cole's 12 consecutive decision won, dating back to May 27, with the Astros going 16–2 in those 18 starts.
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