October 27, 2019 – Astros 7, Nats 1 (World Series Game 5) – Nationals Park

https://www.mlb.com/nationals/news/astros-win-world-series-game-5-three-straight-in-dc

 

Weather: 72 degrees, Clear.

Wind: 8 mph, In From LF.

Umpires: HP--Barksdale, 1B--Holbrook, 2B--Wolf, 3B--Eddings, LF--Cederstrom, RF--Hoye.

Time: 3:19

Attendance: 43,910

 

The search for the Washington Nationals’ offense, gone missing this past Friday, proved fruitless for the third straight day, with only a single ray of hope in each of them. Even the presence of POTUS didn’t help to unravel the mystery.

 

The situation required something close to perfection from the team’s pitching. Joe Ross, starting only due to the injury-related late scratch of ace Max Scherzer, did pitch efficiently, needing only 78 pitches to get through his five innings of work. Unfortunately, he served up a two-run homer to Yordan Alvarez in the 2^nd inning, putting the home team in a quick hole, and allowed another two-run shot (this one to Carlos Correa) in the 4^th. Rainey and Doolittle blanked the visitors for two innings after Ross left, but Hudson allowed a run in the 8^th and yet another two-run dinger (this time to George Springer) in the top of the 9^th, greatly accelerating the flow of fans toward the exits.

 

Houston starter Gerrit Cole, after being treated rudely by the Nats in Game 1, got his revenge Sunday night, giving up just three hits, with the only one that hurt a bit being Soto’s solo HR following the 7^th-inning stretch. Washington’s only real scoring chance came in the top of the 2^nd, when singles by Soto and Kendrick put runners on the corners with no one out. In keeping with the script for the previous two games, however, Zim struck out and Robles grounded into an inning-ending double play.

 

Since our previous two World Series trips to Nando’s had been followed by deflating Washington defeats, we altered our pregame routine, taking advantage of the unusually warm weather to dine outside at Wiseguy Pizza. (Obviously it didn’t help, but the pizza was good enough to justify a repeat visit.)