Pro Sports Sees Rarity in Washington Nationals' 7-2 Win Over Houston Astros in World Series Game 6 Tuesday

The World Series has been played in Major League Baseball for 115 years now, and Tuesday's Game 6 produced something never seen in any of American major pro sports that have a series.

With the Washington Nationals' 7-2 win over the Houston Astros during Game 6 of the 2019 World Series Tuesday night at Minute Maid Park in Houston, the road team has now won each of the first six games. No other American professional sports league has done this, and it includes the NBA and NHL finals series. The NFL does not play a series.

Washington's win sets up a winner-take-all Game 7 on Wednesday night in Houston. The series is tied 3-3 in the best-of-7 series.

Despite the long and illustrious history of Major League Baseball, the National Basketball Association or the National Hockey League—each with a best-of-7 finals—none have ever gone to a Game 7 with the road team winning each of the first six games in their finals.

Washington took a 1-0 lead in the top of the first on Tuesday, but the Astros scratched out two runs for a 2-1 lead that would stand through the end of the fourth.

Adam Eaton homered in the top of the fifth to tie the game at 2-2, and Juan Soto homered that same inning to give the Nationals a 3-2 lead.

The Nationals scored two runs in the seventh and tacked on two more in the ninth to secure the 7-2 win. Washington's Stephen Strasburg pitched 8.1 innings and allowed just two runs on five hits while striking out seven for the win.

The game was not without drama, as Washington manager Dave Martinez became the first manager ejected from a World Series since the Atlanta Braves' skipper Bobby Cox was tossed in the 1996 World Series against the Yankees. The previous manager before Cox? Well, it was Cox back in the 1992 World Series.

Martinez argued a call Tuesday night in which leadoff hitter Trea Turner was called out for interference in the seventh inning. Turner hit a slow blooper in the infield, and the throw to first reached the first baseman's glove as it reached Turner's backside. Replay showed Turner was out, and Martinez afterwards was, too.

Anthony Rendon of the Nationals, a Houston native who went to Lamar High School and Rice University, led Washington with two home runs and five runs batted in. After Martinez was thrown out of the game, Rendon launched a home run in the seventh to give the Nationals a cushion.

The series will be decided Wednesday night in Game 7 as Washington's Max Scherzer squares off against Houston's Zack Greinke.

The last three World Series have been clinched on the road, including the Astros winning Game 7 of the 2017 series at the Los Angeles Dodgers.

The Nationals as a franchise have never won a World Series title. Prior to going to Washington, the franchise was known as the Montreal Expos. Washington sent teams to the World Series in 1924, 1925 and 1933 as the Washington Senators of the American League.