*Photo from CBS Sports*
Washington leads series 1-0
Max Scherzer labored through 5 innings, Juan Soto drove in 3 runs, and the Washington Nationals won game one of the world series by a 5-4 score over the Houston Astros. The Nationals won their first world series game, and their 7th straight game, dating back to game 4 of the NLDS. Ryan Zimmerman also homered for Washington.
The Astros quickly jumped ahead in the first inning, when Yuli Gurriel hit a two run double to left center field. In the second, Zimmerman jumped on a Gerrit Cole fastball and drilled it to center field to get Washington on the board. In the 4th, Soto tied the game with a moonshot that hit the train tracks in left field. In the 5th, Adam Eaton hit an RBI single, and Soto hit a two run double to put the Nats ahead 5-2. In the 7th, George Springer hit a solo homer to make it 5-3, and added an RBI double in the 8th to make it 5-4. The Nats held on from there.
Scherzer labored through 5 innings, finishing the 5th well over 100 pitches. He gave up two runs on 5 hits and 3 walks. He struck out 7 to earn the win. Patrick Corbin came into the game in relief and worked a scoreless 6th. After that, Tanner Rainey, Daniel Hudson, and Sean Doolittle teamed up to get the last 9 outs, with Doolittle getting the save. Zimmerman, the Nats first ever draft choice, hit the first world series homer in the team's history. Manager Dave Martinez said that ''They waited a long time." Zimmerman himself said that ''It's been a long ride." Soto said of his concentration in playoff at bats that ''Everybody around, I forget about everybody around. It's just you and me, try to enjoy it."
Cole went 7 innings for the Astros, giving up 5 runs on 8 hits and one walk. Cole had been seemingly inhuman all season, with quite a string of dominance, but he looked mortal. He simply said that ''I didn't have my A-game tonight." Manager AJ Hinch said of Cole that ''I think he's been so good for so long that there builds this thought of invincibility and that it's impossible to beat him, so when it happens it is a surprise to all of us because we've watched for months this guy completely dominate the opposition.'' Hinch said of Soto's night that ''He's got kind of the `it' factor, he's got the twitch. He's got fast hands. He's got no fear.''
The Astros mettle is going to be tested in a big way in game two on Wednesday night in Houston. They have to face Stephen Strasburg, who has had a terrific postseason, going 3-0 with a 1.64 ERA in the playoffs. Houston will try to even the series with Justin Verlander on the mound.
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