Who Won the World Series?

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Last night, the World Series ended after a dramatic seven-game run. The best-of-seven series opened with two consecutive wins for the Washington Nationals, though their lead didn’t last long. The Nationals’ opponent, the Houston Astros, won both of the next two games, tying the series. When the Astros won the fifth game of the series, the Nationals’ early two-game winning streak seemed all for nothing. 

That never turned out to be the case—in the series’ final two games, the Nationals limited the Astros to just two runs while scoring far more runs of their own. The Nationals thus clinched the World Series last night, and their victory comes with huge historic significance. Prior to this year, no Washington team had made the World Series since the Washington Senators did just under 90 years ago in 1933. The Nationals, a team that has only existed before 2005, didn’t just play their first World Series this year—they won it, too, a historic achievement.

Below is a game-by-game breakdown of how the Nationals won their first-ever World Series and shocked sports commentators all across the U.S.

Game 1: Tuesday, October 22

Nationals 5 – Astros 4

Series score: Nationals 1 – Astros 0

Although the Astros scored two runs in the game’s first inning, the Nationals rebounded in innings two and four with one run during each. After the Nationals then scored three runs in the fifth inning, the Astros couldn’t regain their lead—not even with another run each during the seventh and eighth innings.

Game 2: Wednesday, October 23

Nationals 12 – Astros 3

Series Score: Nationals 2 – Astros 0

In the World Series’ second game, the Nationals absolutely clobbered the Astros. The game was tied 2 – 2 after the first inning, and it remained that way until a massive seventh inning in which the Nationals scored a whopping six runs. After three more runs the next inning and one additional run in the final inning, the Nationals had all but cemented their win—even with a final third run from the Astros in the ninth inning.

Game 3: Friday, October 25

Astros 4 – Nationals 1

Series Score: Nationals 2 – Astros 1

During the second and third innings of this game, the Astros scored one run each. The Nationals scored their first run during the fourth inning. They would never take the lead from the Astros, who scored one run each during the fifth and sixth innings for an undramatic but decisive victory.

Game 4: Saturday, October 26

Astros 8 – Nationals 1

Series Score: Nationals 2 – Astros 2

Strong offense from the Astros and another one-run game from the Nationals brought the World Series to a temporary tie. After scoring two runs each in the first and fourth innings, the Astros brought the game to life in the seventh inning with another four runs.

Game 5: Sunday, October 27

Astros 7 – Nationals 1

Series Score: Nationals 2 – Astros 3

The Nationals’ one-run weekend continued through the fifth game of the World Series, with a seventh-inning run doing nothing to make up for the two runs each that the Astros scored during the second and fourth innings. A one-run eighth inning and two-run ninth inning from the Astros added insult to injury—and seemed to all but guarantee an eventual Astros series victory.

Game 6: Tuesday, October 29

Nationals 7 – Astros 2

Series Score: Nationals 3 – Astros 3

In the first inning of this game, the Nationals scored a run and the Astros scored two runs. By all indications, the game was set to be another one-run loss for the Nationals and the series clincher for the Astros. Instead, the Nationals shut the Astros out for the rest of the game while scoring two runs each during the fifth, seventh, and ninth innings, tying the World Series again and forcing a seventh and final game.

Game 7: Wednesday, October 30

Nationals 6 – Astros 2

Series Score: Nationals 4 – Astros 3, with Nationals winning the World Series

At first, it seemed like the Astros would go on to win the World Series. Houston scored one run each in the second and fifth innings, by which point the Nationals had yet to score at all. Come the seventh inning, though, that would change, with the Nationals driving home three runs. With another run in the eighth inning and two more in the ninth, the Nationals achieved a decisive win in not just this game, but the whole World Series. 

How do you feel about the World Series results? Sound off in the comments!