meback for the Washington Nationals.
The team that was 12 games under .500 before the end of May is now the World Series champion.
The Nationals beat the Houston Astros 6-2 on Wednesday night, when they were down 2-0 after six innings. It was Washingtons fifth comeback win in a potential elimination game this postseason four was already a major league record for a single postseason.
They had to win the NL wild card game, then went the full five games in the NL Division Series to beat the Los Angeles Dodgers on the road in extra innings to advance. Washington swept St. Louis in the NL Championship Series.
BIG HOMERS
Anthony Rendon homered in the last three games when the Nationals were facing elimination, becoming the first player ever to homer in three consecutive elimination games.
Howie Kendrick put Washington ahead to stay with his two-run homer in the seventh inning of Game 7, two batters after Rendon went deep.
Kendrick is the first player with multiple go-ahead homers in the seventh inning or later of winner-take-all games in a single postseason. His grand slam in the 10th inning won Game 5 of the NLDS against the Dodgers.
CAPITAL CHEERS
The Nationals got a toast from the Stanley Cup champions, who are also from the nations capital.
Alex Ovechkin and the Washington Capitals, who won the 2018 Stanley Cup title, popped champagne at home when the Nationals recorded the final out to wrap up the World Series more than 1,400 miles away in Texas.
The Nationals are certain to get a huge celebration back home for their first World Series title, like the Capitals got after winning their first Stanley Cup.
SOME NOTABLE NUMBERS
Juan Soto, who turned 21 during this World Series, finished the postseason with 18 hits. That matched the most by a player younger than 22 Miguel Cabrera was a 20-year-old rookie with the Marlins in 2003 when they won the World Series.
Soto had nine hits in the World Series.
Washington finished the postseason by winning eight consecutive road games. That matched the 1996 Yankees for the longest streak in a single postseason.
Astros second baseman Jose Altuve had a third-inning single, his 25th hit this postseason. That matched the second-most in MLB history, one shy of Pablo Sandovals total with the San Francisco Giants in 2014.
Houston shortstop Carlos Correas RBI double in the fifth inning was his 33rd career RBI in the postseason, the most by a player younger than 26. The only shortstop with more RBIs overall is Derek Jeter with 61.
HEADED TO THE HALL
There are several items from the World Series headed to Cooperstown.
An exhibit at the Baseball Hall of Fame highlighting the most recent World Series champion will include a hoodie from manager Dave Martinez, the jersey World Series MVP Stephen Strasburg wore when winning Game 6, the ball Howie Kendrick hit for the go-ahead home run in Game 7 and the cap three-time Cy Young winner Max Scherzer wore when starting the finale.
PLAY LOUD AND RESPECTFUL
Astros manager AJ Hinch is all for letting the young kids play and play loud. He also wants them to respect the game.
