*Photo from NBC*
Wrapping up the champions of the 2010's series is the 2019 Washington Nationals.
2019 was special for the Nationals. After they lost Bryce Harper in free agency, the Nats were still division contenders, but they stumbled out of the gate. In mid May, they were nearing rock bottom with a 19-31 record. Then, they surged, and went on to clinch a playoff spot. After they beat the Milwaukee Brewers in epic fashion in the wild card game, they kept going, and they prevailed.
In the NLDS, they took on the 106 win juggernaut Los Angeles Dodgers. Game one was all Dodgers, as they shut out Washington 6-0. The Nats rallied back in game two to win 4-2 to tie the series. The Dodgers quickly bounced back with a 10-4 win in game 3. That would be it for the Dodgers. The Nats rolled to a 6-1 win in game 4. In game 5, the Nats rode a clutch 10th inning Howie Kendrick grand slam to a 7-3 win to advance to the NLCS.
The NLCS pitted the Nationals against the NL Central champions, the St.Louis Cardinals. In game one, Anibal Sanchez almost had a no hitter as the Nats won by a 2-0 score. In game two, Max Scherzer also flirted with a no hitter, but didn't get it, although the Nats won 3-1. In game 3, the Nats cruised to an 8-1 win to force the Cardinals to the brink of elimination. In game 4, a 7 run first inning led the Nats to a 7-4 win and a series sweep to clinch the NL Pennant and go to the World Series.
The World Series had the Nats going against the 107 win Houston Astros. The Nats won game one by a 5-4 score, and stunned the Astros in game two with a 12-3 rout, embarassing the Astros as the series shifted to Washington. That's when the Astros woke up. They won game 3 by a 4-1 score, game 4 by an 8-1 score, and game 5 by a 7-1 score to push the Nats to the brink of elimination. They bounced back in Houston. They won 7-2 in game 6, and thanks to a clutch Howie Kendrick homer in game 7, they won the World Series by a 6-2 score.
The 2019 Nationals surprised a lot of people. They rose from dead in May to champions in October. They are the true underdog story. They counted on each other, and never gave up, and that's what put them over the top.
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