Emblematic of most everything that has unfolded thus far this post-season, light-hitting Washington Nationals catcher Kurt Suzuki proved ready when his time in the spotlight came.
Suzuki on Wednesday smacked a tiebreaking home run leading off the seventh inning as the Washington Nationals took complete advantage of the subsequent collapse by the Houston Astros to post a 12-3 victory in Game 2 of the World Series.
The Nationals swept the first two games of the best-of-seven set and head home for Game 3 today, Game 4 tomorrow and (if necessary) Game 5 on Sunday.
Photo: EPA-EFE
Suzuki, 1-for-23 with nine strikeouts this post-season entering Wednesday, homered to left field off Astros starting pitcher Justin Verlander to ignite a six-run frame. His blast broke a 2-2 tie that existed since the first inning and keyed a Nationals eruption that yielded 10 runs over the final three innings.
“I can’t remember the last time I barreled a ball up like that,” Suzuki said of his shot. “It felt great. It felt like months ago. Probably was months ago. It felt great.”
Houston fell apart soon thereafter, with Verlander issuing a walk to No. 9 hitter Victor Robles before third baseman Alex Bregman failed to make two plays behind reliever Ryan Pressly.
With the bases loaded following a two-out intentional walk to Juan Soto, Bregman muffed a ground ball off the bat of Howie Kendrick. Robles scored to stretch the Washington lead to 4-2 on a play that was ruled a single.
Asdrubal Cabrera followed with a two-run single before Bregman added a throwing error when Ryan Zimmerman rolled an infield single up the third-base line. Kendrick and Cabrera scored to boost the lead to 8-2.
Before the Nationals seized control, it was more of the same offensively for Houston. Bregman slugged a two-run, game-tying homer with two outs in the bottom of the first inning, but that proved to be the lone damaging blow off Stephen Strasburg (1-0). The Nationals right-hander needed 114 pitches to complete six innings, yet allowed just two runs on seven hits and one walk with seven strikeouts.
After finishing 3-for-12 with runners in scoring position in Game 1, the Astros managed just five such at-bats in Game 2. They came up empty in each and stranded nine baserunners.
“Making pitches,” Nationals manager Dave Martinez said of the key to holding down the Houston lineup. “They see a lot of pitches, but we have to continue to pound the strike zone and [we’re] doing that.”
Verlander, who allowed four runs on seven hits and three walks with six strikeouts over six-plus innings, and co-ace Gerrit Cole dropped consecutive starts for the first time this year, a gut punch no one anticipated, especially the Astros.
“I remember when we lost three in New York and the world was coming to an end,” Bregman said, referencing the 2017 American League Championship Series, in which the Yankees grabbed a 3-2 series lead on the Astros. “The next thing you know, we’re in the World Series in ‘17. So we’ve been here before.”
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