World Series Game 7: Washington Nationals defeat Houston Astros to clinch first World Series

The Washington Nationals have clinched their first World Series title after defeating the host Houston Astros 6-2 in Game 7 on Wednesday night at Minute Maid Park.

This is the first time in World Series history that the road team has won every game.

Anthony Rendon and Howie Kendrick homered to power the Nationals, who had finished the regular season as a wild-card team.

“There’s guys that in a big moment you want up there,” Nationals Manager Dave Martinez said. “They’ve come through all year long for us in big ways. They have the knack to stay calm and do what they need to do.”

Starter Max Scherzer kept the Nationals in the game, throwing five innings and giving up two runs. Patrick Corbin, a starter turned reliever for this game, pitched three scoreless innings to earn the win.

Daniel Hudson pitched a perfect ninth to earn the save.

The Washington Nationals celebrate after winning the World Series on Wednesday, October 30. The Nationals defeated the Houston Astros 6-2 to win Game 7 and their first title in franchise history.

Washington closer Daniel Hudson celebrates after getting the final out.

Nationals left fielder Juan Soto hugs catcher Kurt Suzuki during the postgame celebrations.

Nationals manager Dave Martinez raises the trophy.

Houston shortstop Carlos Correa reacts in the dugout after the loss.

Washington catcher Yan Gomes celebrates after Michael Brantley struck out to end the game.

An Astros fan watches as her team trailed in the eighth inning. The home team lost all seven games of the series.

Washington's Howie Kendrick is congratulated by teammate Juan Soto after his home run gave the Nationals a 3-2 lead in the seventh inning.

Kendrick connects on his seventh-inning home run. Teammate Anthony Rendon hit a solo home run earlier in the inning to put the Nationals on the board.

Washington second baseman Asdrubal Cabrera collides with Jake Marisnick as he turns a double play in Game 7.

Correa celebrates his RBI single that gave the Astros a 2-0 lead in Game 7.

Soto reacts after striking out in the fifth inning.

Houston starter Zack Greinke pitched into the seventh inning and allowed just two runs and one run.

Washington starter Max Scherzer reacts after allowing a solo home run to Yuli Gurriel in the second inning of Game 7.

Washington third baseman Anthony Rendon is congratulated by Juan Soto after Rendon hit a two-run home run in Game 6 on Tuesday, October 29. Rendon had 5 RBIs in the Nationals' 7-2 victory.

Washington's Adam Eaton is hit by a pitch late in Game 6.

Washington manager Dave Martinez argues with umpire Gary Cederstrom as he is ejected in Game 6. Martinez was upset when Trea Turner was called out for runner interference.

The controversial play came as Turner was running to first to beat a groundout. Houston first baseman Yuli Gurriel lost his glove and was unable to make the catch. The umpire said Turner interfered with Gurriel. The Nationals were irate.

Washington starter Stephen Strasburg pitched into the ninth inning of Game 6, allowing only two runs and five hits. He also had seven strikeouts as he won his second game of the World Series. He was later named World Series MVP.

Soto is congratulated by Eaton after hitting a home run to give the Nationals the lead in Game 6.

Soto carried his bat toward first base and dropped it after his home run in Game 6. He was mimicking Astros player Alex Bregman, who did it earlier in the game.

A scoreboard in Houston shows the Astros one win away from the title.

Bregman is congratulated in the dugout after hitting a home run in the first inning of Game 6.

Fans try to catch Bregman's home run in Game 6.

Astros starter Justin Verlander delivers a pitch in the first inning of Game 6. Verlander, one of the most dominant pitchers of his generation, fell to 0-6 in seven World Series starts.

Washington players react in the dugout during the ninth inning of Game 5. The Nationals lost 7-1 to fall behind three games to two. They lost all three of their home games, scoring only one run in each.

Washington's Victor Robles reacts after striking out during the seventh inning of Game 5.

Nationals fan Jeff Adams, with two beers in hand, lets a home-run ball hit him in the chest during Game 5. The home run was hit by Houston's Yordan Alvarez and gave the Astros a 2-0 lead in the second inning. Adams' sacrifice went viral, and Bud Light gave him tickets to Game 6 in Houston.

Houston ace Gerrit Cole lost Game 1, but he rebounded with a big performance in Game 5. Cole allowed only three hits and one run over seven innings. He also struck out nine batters.

US President Donald Trump attended Game 5 in Washington. He received some cheers as he appeared on the video screen, but he was also booed loudly. There were later chants of "lock him up."

Alex Bregman's grand slam capped off the Astros' 8-1 victory in Game 4. He also had an RBI single that opened the scoring in the first inning.

Houston catcher Robinson Chirinos slides for a foul ball during Game 4, but he was unable to make the catch.

Houston closer Roberto Osuna celebrates after getting the final out in the Astros' 4-1 victory in Game 3.

Houston reliever Will Harris delivers a pitch in Game 3.

Nationals fans cheer during Game 3. It was the first World Series game in Washington since 1924. The Nationals didn't exist then.

Nationals first baseman Ryan Zimmerman reacts after nearly being hit by a pitch during Game 3.

Houston manager A.J. Hinch, left, and Washington manager Dave Martinez embrace each other prior to Game 3.

An overview of Nationals Park before it hosted its first World Series game.

Astros fans react to a Washington home run during the Nationals' 12-3 beatdown in Game 2. Houston lost the first two games at home.

Washington catcher Kurt Suzuki was one of the heroes of Game 2, breaking a 2-2 tie with a solo home run in the seventh inning. The Nationals took off after that, adding nine more runs.

Houston pitcher Justin Verlander dives to the ground and tries to make a throw to first, but he hit his leg instead.

World champion gymnast Simone Biles performs a flip before throwing out the first pitch for Game 2.

Washington outfielders Victor Robles, Adam Eaton and Juan Soto celebrate their 5-4 victory in Game 1.

Eaton crashes into the wall as he tries to make a catch in Game 1.

Soto hits a solo home run to in the fourth inning of Game 1. He finished the game with three RBIs.

Gerrit Cole delivers the first pitch of the series.

This was the second World Series in three years for Houston. The Astros won the championship in 2017.

In pictures: Nationals win first World Series title

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Scherzer, who missed Game 5 with back and neck spasms, said he was fine Wednesday night.

He said his teammates believed in one another.

“It just means that I am part of the greatest team in 2019,” he told broadcaster Fox. “These guys, they battled. It was stay in the fight, that was our motto. Everybody gave it their all.”

Astros reliever Will Harris, who gave up Kendrick’s go-ahead home run in the seventh inning, took the loss.

The Nats broke it open with a run in the eighth and two runs in the ninth.

HOUSTON, TEXAS - OCTOBER 30: Juan Soto #22 of the Washington Nationals celebrates as he comes home to score a run on a home run by Howie Kendrick (not pictured) against the Houston Astros during the seventh inning in Game Seven of the 2019 World Series at Minute Maid Park on October 30, 2019 in Houston, Texas. (Photo by Bob Levey/Getty Images)

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The Astros struck first. Yuli Gurriel hit a leadoff home run in the bottom of the second inning to make it 1-0.

In the bottom of the fifth, Houston’s Carlos Correa singled off Rendon’s glove to score Gurriel, who had grounded into a force play and gone to second on a walk to Yordan Alvarez. That made the score 2-0.

But the Astros couldn’t score again, leaving 10 men on base.

Astros starter Zack Greinke was tough and efficient, throwing 80 pitches in 6 1/3 innings. He gave up two hits and one run, a home run to Rendon two batters before Kendrick’s blast.

WASHINGTON, DC - OCTOBER 14: Stephen Strasburg #37 of the Washington Nationals smiles as he walks back to the dug out in the fifth inning of game three of the National League Championship Series against the St. Louis Cardinals at Nationals Park on October 14, 2019 in Washington, DC. (Photo by Patrick Smith/Getty Images)

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Greinke also had five assists, including one where he started a double play.

“He was incredible. He did everything we could’ve asked for and more,” Astros manager A.J. Hinch said. “He was in complete control of the game.”

Hinch said the story should be about his opponent.

“This isn’t about not performing at home or anything that we didn’t do,” he told reporters. “I come away incredibly impressed by the team that we played and got beat by.”

While the title is the first for the Nationals’ franchise, it is the second for the city. In 1924, the Washington Senators, now the Minnesota Twins, defeated the New York Giants four games to three.

CNN’s Madeline Holcombe contributed to this report.