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2019 World Series: Virginia Beach products Zimmerman, Hudson help lift Nationals to game 1 win

Posted at 11:54 PM, Oct 22, 2019
and last updated 2019-10-23 00:03:47-04

HOUSTON, Texas – The Washington Nationals had not played a baseball game in six days. They hadn’t played a World Series game in team history. So, perhaps understandably, the Nats started slow in game 1 of the 2019 World Series.

Juan Soto #22 of the Washington Nationals. (Photo by Tim Warner/Getty Images)

But a furious rally indicative of their season since May, the Nationals storm back to beat the Houston Astros 5-4 and take a 1-0 lead in the best of seven series. Washington has won seven straight games in the 2019 MLB postseason.

Ryan Zimmerman, the Virginia Beach product & longtime National (2005 – present) got the scoring started with a solo home run in the 2nd inning. That cut the Houston lead to 2-1 after the Astros scored a pair of runs in the bottom of the 1st inning.

Juan Soto’s solo home run in the 4th inning tied the game 2-2. With three runs in the 5th inning on RBIs from Adam Eaton and Soto, the Nationals took a 5-2 lead on Astros ace Gerrit Cole.

Ryan Zimmerman #11 of the Washington Nationals. (Photo by Elsa/Getty Images)

George Springer, who has hit a home run in five consecutive World Series games, cut the Nats lead to 5-3 with his solo blast in the 7th inning. However, Virginia Beach’s Daniel Hudson, an Old Dominion University product, slammed the door on an Astros rally by striking out Yordan Alvarez with the bases loaded in the 7th inning to preserve Washington’s lead. Hudson was lifted in the 8th after allowing three hits.

Sean Doolittle, a UVA product, earned the save by recording the game’s final four outs.

Nationals starter Max Scherzer struck out seven Astros batters in five innings of work.

Game 2 of the 2019 World Series will be played Wednesday night in Houston. First pitch is set for 8:08 p.m.