The 2019 World Series ended in a winner-take-all finale at Minute Maid Park, where the Washington Nationals stunned the hometown Houston Astros.

Here's how it went down before, during and after Game 7.

The celebration










In-game updates






From ESPN Stats & Info: Anthony Rendon and Howie Kendrick are the fourth and fifth players -- and first teammates -- to homer in multiple winner-take-all games within a single postseason.

Dan Mullen, ESPN.com 3y ago


Wow! Howie Kendrick plays postseason superhero again in stunning style as he greets Will Harris with a two-run home run off the foul pole in right field to give the Nationals the 3-2 lead. Zack Greinke pitches an unbelievable game and leaves with a no-decision.

David Schoenfield, ESPN Senior Writer 3y ago



Don't start the celebration just yet, Astros fans. Anthony Rendon unloaded on a low changeup over the center of the plate, cutting the Astros' lead to 2-1 and quickly bringing a sense of tension back to Minute Maid Park.

Dan Mullen, ESPN.com 3y ago



Max Scherzer's World Series Game 7 will come to an end after he allowed two runs and threw 103 pitches in five innings. It wasn't vintage Mad Max, but also a pretty incredible performance from a guy nobody was sure would even be able to pitch two days ago.

Dan Mullen, ESPN.com 3y ago



The Astros finally got the big hit they've been waiting for with runners in scoring position as Carlos Correa smokes a two-strike single off the glove of a diving Anthony Rendon to add to Houston's lead and fire up the crowd at Minute Maid Park even more.

Dan Mullen, ESPN.com 3y ago




The energy at Minute Maid Park is as electric as it's been at any time this October. The Astros keep jabbing at Max Scherzer, with eight baserunners over four innings. According to baseballsavant.com, the Astros have a .393 expected batting average on the balls they've put into play; the Nats are at .320. Yet it remains 1-0. Houston has not been able to land the knockout punch against a Washington team that's come back time and again all month.

Bradford Doolittle, ESPN Staff Writer 3y ago


Zack Greinke fans Anthony Rendon to end the fourth on a 3-2 fastball riding in on Rendon's hands. He also had two more assists, giving him four for the game. He's thrown just 41 pitches. But the Astros are 0-for-5 with runners in scoring position and the score remains 1-0.

David Schoenfield, ESPN Senior Writer 3y ago


Besides being a potential Hall of Famer as a pitcher, Zack Greinke is about as good as it gets on the mound defensively. The five-time Gold Glover has made four strong defensive plays so far in Game 7 to help keep the Nationals off the scoreboard.

Dan Mullen, ESPN.com 3y ago


Max Scherzer isn't fooling anyone in Game 7, but there's nobody warming up in the Washington bullpen. This has the feeling of a game that could get away from the Nats at any moment.

Dan Mullen, ESPN.com 3y ago




The Astros strike first as Yuri Gurriel homers off a 2-1 slider deep into the Crawford Boxes in left field -- a low screamer at 100.8 mph that kept rising as it soared over the fence. In other words, a legitimate blast, not a cheap one like so often is hit there. Big deal? The team that scores first is 25-14 in Game 7s.

David Schoenfield, ESPN Senior Writer 3y ago



Zack Greinke works around a leadoff single by Juan Soto in the second inning -- another 109-mph laser -- but got Howie Kendrick on a half-swing 1-4-3 double play. Greinke turned 12 double plays this year. No other pitcher turned more than five. Yes, he'll win the Gold Glove Award (oh, he also slugged .508 and was disappointed this game wasn't being played in an NL park).

David Schoenfield, ESPN Senior Writer 3y ago


Max Scherzer's first pitch of the game: 97 mph. George Springer takes the first five pitches to work the count full and then flies out to center field against a 96-mph fastball -- right down the middle that Springer just missed. Max's Kirk Gibson/Willis Reed moment is under way.

David Schoenfield, ESPN Senior Writer 3y ago


From ESPN Stats & Info: Zack Greinke threw eight pitches in the first inning, tied for his fewest in a first inning all season and his fewest since joining the Astros.

Dan Mullen, ESPN.com 3y ago


The Astros' Zack Greinke threw just eight pitches during a 1-2-3 first. Two of the three balls left the bat with exit velocities that wouldn't be considered speeding in most states. Not a bad beginning.

Bradford Doolittle, ESPN Staff Writer 3y ago

Pregame: Interviews, BP, news, trivia & more


Let's see if these two guys are still talking to each other nine innings from now:

David Schoenfield, ESPN Senior Writer 3y ago


What to wear at Game 7 if you're a Nats fan? A Brad Wilkerson jersey, of course:

David Schoenfield, ESPN Senior Writer 3y ago



Juan Soto has a chance to become the youngest World Series MVP in MLB history. Currently, 1985 WS MVP Brett Saberhagen holds that honor.

Dan Mullen, ESPN.com 3y ago


Stephen Strasburg is 5-0 this postseason. Max Scherzer is 3-0, hoping to get to 4-0. Other teammate pairs who went at least 3-0 in the same postseason: Josh Beckett (4-0) and Curt Schilling (3-0), 2007 Red Sox; Dave Stewart (4-0) and Mike Moore (3-0), 1989 A's; Orel Hershiser (3-0) and Tim Belcher (3-0), 1988 Dodgers.

David Schoenfield, ESPN Senior Writer 3y ago



Looks like we're going to see a lot more Nats here tonight:

David Schoenfield, ESPN Senior Writer 3y ago


With the Nationals stretching next to the cage, Alex Bregman is taking his batting practice cuts. And no, he has not trotted down the first-base line with his bat in hand.

Dan Mullen, ESPN.com 3y ago



Ryan Zimmerman on what to expect from Max Scherzer tonight: "I assume you'll see vintage Mad Max out there. He'll be amped up. Huffing and puffing."

David Schoenfield, ESPN Senior Writer 3y ago



When I asked a Nationals fan at my hotel today why he came to Houston, his reply was simply "It's Game 7, brother." But a lot of Astros fans seem more frustrated that it didn't end in six than excited for tonight. "Houston is depressed," one Astros fan told me this afternoon.

Dan Mullen, ESPN.com 3y ago


Who might win World Series MVP? Leaders in Win Probability Added (WPA) through game 6; 1. Springer 0.47 2. Strasburg 0.37 3. Soto 0.32 4. Doolittle 0.31 5. Urquidy 0.21 6. Rendon 0.19 7. Alvarez 0.15 8. Bregman 0.13

Paul Sabin, ESPN Analytics 3y ago