After a Long Wait, The Washington Nationals Capture Their First World Series in Franchise History
by Mike Schauder ’20, Senior Writer
The Washington Nationals entering the season were only one of the seven teams that had never accomplished a win at The World Series. The Nationals are new to the league, in fact, they started off as the Montreal Exposes before they were bought out by the MLB. Major League Baseball decided it was time for the Expo’s to relocate with a new name and new stadium as part of the expansion. The team relocated to the nation’s capital Washington DC, who did not have a baseball team in the area, at the time. The Nationals opened Nationals Park, the current home field for the team.
The Nationals selected Ryan Zimmerman fourth overall in the first round during the year 2005. Zimmerman was a star third baseman at the University of Virginia where he received a lot of attention not only with his bat, but his glove as well. Zimmerman never made it far in the playoffs with the team throughout the years, never even reaching the World Series in his career. This all changed after the Nationals defeated the St. Louis Cardinals to clinch their first National League pennant in team history.
The Nationals opponent during the 2019 playoff season was a former World Series champion, the Houston Astros. Entering the World Series, the Nationals were considered underdogs and they were able to embrace that name. The World Series lasted all seven games and Vegas was having a blast setting their money lines for a winner. The series consisted of a lot of young stars such as Juan Soto, a twenty-one-year-old phenom, who proved he belonged in the league. Another source to the Nationals victory was Anthony Rendon, a 2019 All Star and their starting third basemen. While trailing 2–0, Rendon ripped a home run off of Zac Greinke, a former CY Young award winner. Later that inning, thirteen-year veteran Howie Kendrick gave the Nationals the lead with a two-run blast.
The Nationals handed the ball to their relief pitcher, Daniel Hudson. Hudson was dealing with a 6–2 lead and was asked to get the last three outs against the Astros top of the order. After getting George Springer to pop out and Jose Altueve to strike out, there was only one out left. Hudson faced Michael Brantley with two outs with no one on base, Hudson was able to get Brantley to strike out swinging on an off-speed pitch in the dirt securing the Nationals first championship. The team emerged out of the dugout and celebrated their first ever World Series in franchise history.
