World Series: Houston Astros Win Game 3 Over Washington Nationals

Game Three of the World Series has come to an end and the Houston Astros took down the Washington Nationals 4-1. However, Washington still leads the series 2-1. Outfielder Michael Brantley drove in two runs for the Astros in the third and fifth inning while catcher Robinson Chirinos hit a home run in the six-inning to put the game away. Astros pitcher Zack Greinke surrendered one run in 4.2 innings. Game Four will be played on Saturday at 8 p.m ET.

The Nationals have been on a roll lately as they have won eight consecutive playoff games heading before tonight. They clinched a playoff spot via wild card and they rallied to bear the Milwaukee Brewers in the Wild Card Game. From there, the Nationals took on the Los Angeles Dodgers and they were able to once again rally and win in five games. And they had no issues taking down the St. Loius Cardinals in the National League Championship Series by coming away with a 4-0 sweep.

The Nationals are led by a number of players who stepped up their game in the second half of the regular season. Anthony Rendon is a candidate to win MVP after recording a .319 batting average, 34 home runs and 126 RBIs. Juan Soto has been another big player for the Nationals posting 34 homers and 110 RBIs. The pitching has been a strong point for the Nationals all year. Stephen Strasburgh led the team with 18 wins and 251 strikeouts while Max Scherzer tallied a 2.92 ERA and he struck out 243 batters.

The Astros were considered the favorite to win the World Series before the season began. The team won 107 games in the regular season and they were able to take down the New York Yankees in the American League Championship Series in seven games. Houston has a strong pitching staff that includes Justin Verlander and Gerrit Cole. Both players finished with at least 20 wins in the regular season and both finished with an ERA of under 2.60.

Offensively, the Astros are led by Alex Bregman who hit 41 homers and drove in 112 runs during the regular season. Jose Altuve hit 31 home runs with 74 RBIs and George Springer had another productive season, posting 39 homers and 96 RBIs.

The Astros have the playoff experience as they won the World Series in 2017 by taking down the Los Angeles Dodgers. In 2018, Houston lost to the Boston Red Sox 4-1 in the American League Championship Series.