World Series 2019: Top Stars, Stats and Highlights from Nationals vs. Astros

The Washington Nationals completed their improbable season by winning their fourth World Series road game at Minute Maid Park. 

Dave Martinez's side made all sorts of history after coming back from a 19-31 start to win the franchise's first-ever championship. 

According to Baseball Reference, Washington was the first team to begin a season 19-31 or worse and win the World Series and to win four road games in the Fall Classic. It also became the fourth side to capture five elimination contests:

The Nationals' season could have gone in another direction, though, with The Athletic's Jayson Stark pointing out Detroit was also 12 games under .500 on May 23: 

Washington's starting pitchers were the stars of Games 6 and 7, as Stephen Strasburg twirled a gem Tuesday before Max Scherzer and Patrick Corbin combined for eight strong frames Wednesday. 

In games started by Scherzer and Strasburg, the Nationals were 10-0, the best record for a duo in postseason history, per ESPN Stats and Info: 

Scherzer battled back from a Game 5 scratch due to neck spasms and gave up two runs on seven hits over five innings. 

Houston had its chances to tack on runs against the Washington ace, but it went 1-of-8 with runners in scoring position. 

The inability to plate runners eventually haunted the home side, and it wasted an incredible performance from Zack Greinke, who conceded twice over 6.1 frames. 

Anthony Rendon changed the course of Game 7 with one swing, after his seventh-inning solo shot off Greinke sparked a three-run rally:

As Stark noted, Washington batters were 2-of-20 in Game 7 before the third baseman's home run. Between that and his ninth-inning plate appearance, 12 of 18 batters found a way on base: 

The impending free agent's rally-starting dinger extended a streak of at-bats in which he produced five extra-base hits in the seventh inning or later of an elimination game, per Fox Sports MLB: 

After Rendon handed the Nationals hope in the seventh, Howie Kendrick blasted them into the lead for good with a two-run shot off the right-field foul pole:

The designated hitter became the fourth batter to have home runs in two different winner-take-all games, per MLB Stats: 

The 36-year-old was also the fourth-oldest and sixth-overall player to send a go-ahead homer over the fence in the seventh inning or later of a World Series Game 7, per ESPN Stats and Info: 

Kendrick's round-tripper handed the loss to Will Harris, who did not concede a postseason run before Game 6. 

The right-hander became the first hurler since Ray Kremer in 1925 to allow home runs in Games 6 and 7 of the Fall Classic: 

Houston was unable to manage a comeback due to the work of Corbin, who gave up two hits while striking out three in three relief innings. 

According to Stats Inc., the southpaw was the third pitcher to toss three shutout relief innings and pick up the victory in World Series Game 7: 

One of two others to achieve that was Walter Johnson, who was a part of the last Washington team to win a World Series in 1924. That iteration of a Washington baseball franchise relocated to Minnesota. 

By rallying back from 3-2 down, the Nationals etched their place in history alongside seven other teams to win the final two World Series games on the road:

Wednesday's come-from-behind win concluded the improbable run in which they were down in the eighth inning of the NL Wild Card Game, Game 5 of the NLDS and World Series Game 7, as The Athletic's Rustin Dodd pointed out: 

Houston's defeat marked an 0-4 close at Minute Maid Park after it earned the best home record in the regular season. AJ Hinch's side lost five of its final seven games at Minute Maid Park. 

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