Nationals Outlast Astros To Capture World Series Opener

Houston, (UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 23rd Oct, 2019 ) :Dominican slugger Juan Soto smacked a solo home run and a two-run double to power the Washington Nationals over Houston 5-4 in Tuesday's opening game of the 115th World Series.

The 20-year-old left-fielder homered in the fourth inning and drove in the deciding runs in the fifth while left-handed closing reliever Sean Doolittle forced the final four Houston outs, inflicting the first loss on Astros starting pitcher Gerrit Cole since May 22.

Washington jumped ahead 1-0 in Major League Baseball's best-of-seven championship final, which continues Wednesday in Houston.

Soto became the third-youngest "cleanup" batter -- fourth in the lineup -- in World Series history after Ty Cobb in 1907 and Miguel Cabrera in 2003.

Soto, who turns 21 on Friday, admitted he was nervous in his World Series debut.

"In the first at bat, I'm not going to lie, I felt a little bit shaky in my legs, but I just tried to control my emotions and hit the ball," Soto said.

"After the first at bat I just said it's just another baseball game. Just go out and enjoy." The Nationals have won 17 of their past 19 games, including seven in a row.

Game one winners have eventually taken 18 of the prior 22 World Series titles.

Cole, this year's major league strikeout leader, had won 19 straight decisions in his past 25 starts over five months, the longest one-season win streak in MLB history, but he also surrendered the most runs he has since last losing on May 22.

"He has been so good for so long, there builds this thought of invincibility and that it's impossible to beat him, which is why I want to give credit to the Nats," Astros manager A.J. Hinch said.

"It's just not easy to do what these guys do and their streaks of dominance." The Astros seek their second title in three seasons while the Nationals, who moved from Montreal to Washington for the 2005 season, chase their first crown and the US capital's first since the Senators captured the 1924 championship.

The Nationals could join the 1914 Boston Braves as the only World Series champions who were 12 games below .500 during the regular season.

Washington right-hander Max Scherzer took the victory despite lasting only five innings, striking out seven while allowing five hits and three walks.