{"id":1316156,"date":"2019-10-27T21:56:00","date_gmt":"2019-10-28T03:56:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.postindependent.com\/cole-powerful-astros-hammer-nats-7-1-lead-world-series-3-2\/"},"modified":"2019-10-27T21:56:00","modified_gmt":"2019-10-28T03:56:00","slug":"cole-powerful-astros-hammer-nationals-7-1-lead-world-series-3-2","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/alwaysmountaintime.com\/kske\/local-news\/cole-powerful-astros-hammer-nationals-7-1-lead-world-series-3-2\/","title":{"rendered":"Cole, powerful Astros hammer Nationals 7-1, lead World Series 3-2"},"content":{"rendered":"<div class=\"swift-gallery p402_hide\" readability=\"6.8593508500773\">\n<ul id=\"imageGallery-990189-567\" class=\"gallery list-unstyled\">\n<li data-thumb=\"https:\/\/cdn.postindependent.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/6\/2019\/10\/World_Series_Astros_Nationals_Baseball_88645-647f3-150x150.jpg\" data-src=\"https:\/\/cdn.postindependent.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/6\/2019\/10\/World_Series_Astros_Nationals_Baseball_88645-647f3-1024x682.jpg\" data-sub-html=\"AP | AP | Houston Astros starting pitcher Gerrit Cole throws against the Washington Nationals during the first inning of Game 5 of the baseball World Series Sunday, Oct. 27, 2019, in Washington. (AP Photo\/Patrick Semansky)\" class=\"h-100\" readability=\"0.5\">\n<div class=\"caption\" readability=\"12\">\n<p><strong>Houston Astros starting pitcher Gerrit Cole throws against the Washington Nationals during the first inning of Game 5 of the baseball World Series Sunday, Oct. 27, 2019, in Washington. (AP Photo\/Patrick Semansky)<\/strong><br \/>AP | AP<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"row no-gutters h-100\">\n<div class=\"col my-auto\"> <img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/cdn.postindependent.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/6\/2019\/10\/World_Series_Astros_Nationals_Baseball_88645-647f3-1024x682.jpg\" data-no-lazy=\"1\" alt=\"Houston Astros starting pitcher Gerrit Cole throws against the Washington Nationals during the first inning of Game 5 of the baseball World Series Sunday, Oct. 27, 2019, in Washington. (AP Photo\/Patrick Semansky)\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/li>\n<li data-thumb=\"https:\/\/cdn.postindependent.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/6\/2019\/10\/World_Series_Astros_Nationals_Baseball_88645-647f3-1-150x150.jpg\" data-src=\"https:\/\/cdn.postindependent.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/6\/2019\/10\/World_Series_Astros_Nationals_Baseball_88645-647f3-1-1024x683.jpg\" data-sub-html=\"AP | AP | President Donald Trump is introduced during the third inning of Game 5 of the baseball World Series between the Houston Astros and the Washington Nationals Sunday, Oct. 27, 2019, in Washington. (AP Photo\/Pablo Martinez Monsivais)\" class=\"h-100\" readability=\"0.5\">\n<div class=\"caption\" readability=\"12\">\n<p><strong>President Donald Trump is introduced during the third inning of Game 5 of the baseball World Series between the Houston Astros and the Washington Nationals Sunday, Oct. 27, 2019, in Washington. (AP Photo\/Pablo Martinez Monsivais)<\/strong><br \/>AP | AP<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"row no-gutters h-100\">\n<div class=\"col my-auto\"> <img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/cdn.postindependent.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/6\/2019\/10\/World_Series_Astros_Nationals_Baseball_88645-647f3-1-1024x683.jpg\" data-no-lazy=\"1\" alt=\"President Donald Trump is introduced during the third inning of Game 5 of the baseball World Series between the Houston Astros and the Washington Nationals Sunday, Oct. 27, 2019, in Washington. (AP Photo\/Pablo Martinez Monsivais)\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/li>\n<li data-thumb=\"https:\/\/cdn.postindependent.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/6\/2019\/10\/World_Series_Astros_Nationals_Baseball_88645-647f3-2-150x150.jpg\" data-src=\"https:\/\/cdn.postindependent.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/6\/2019\/10\/World_Series_Astros_Nationals_Baseball_88645-647f3-2-1024x683.jpg\" data-sub-html=\"AP | AP | Washington Nationals starting pitcher Max Scherzer speaks during a news conference before Game 5 of the baseball World Series against the Houston Astros Sunday, Oct. 27, 2019, in Washington. Scherzer was slated to start Sunday's World Series game, has been scratched with spasms in his neck and right trapezius.(AP Photo\/Alex Brandon)\" class=\"h-100\" readability=\"1.5\">\n<div class=\"caption\" readability=\"14\">\n<p><strong>Washington Nationals starting pitcher Max Scherzer speaks during a news conference before Game 5 of the baseball World Series against the Houston Astros Sunday, Oct. 27, 2019, in Washington. Scherzer was slated to start Sunday&#8217;s World Series game, has been scratched with spasms in his neck and right trapezius.(AP Photo\/Alex Brandon)<\/strong><br \/>AP | AP<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"row no-gutters h-100\">\n<div class=\"col my-auto\"> <img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/cdn.postindependent.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/6\/2019\/10\/World_Series_Astros_Nationals_Baseball_88645-647f3-2-1024x683.jpg\" data-no-lazy=\"1\" alt=\"Washington Nationals starting pitcher Max Scherzer speaks during a news conference before Game 5 of the baseball World Series against the Houston Astros Sunday, Oct. 27, 2019, in Washington. Scherzer was slated to start Sunday's World Series game, has been scratched with spasms in his neck and right trapezius.(AP Photo\/Alex Brandon)\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/li>\n<li data-thumb=\"https:\/\/cdn.postindependent.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/6\/2019\/10\/World_Series_Astros_Nationals_Baseball_88645-647f3-3-150x150.jpg\" data-src=\"https:\/\/cdn.postindependent.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/6\/2019\/10\/World_Series_Astros_Nationals_Baseball_88645-647f3-3-682x1024.jpg\" data-sub-html=\"AP | AP | Washington Nationals pitcher Joe Ross watches a two-run home run by Houston Astros' Carlos Correa during the fourth inning of Game 5 of the baseball World Series Sunday, Oct. 27, 2019, in Washington. (AP Photo\/Jeff Roberson)\" class=\"h-100\" readability=\"0.5\">\n<div class=\"caption\" readability=\"12\">\n<p><strong>Washington Nationals pitcher Joe Ross watches a two-run home run by Houston Astros&#8217; Carlos Correa during the fourth inning of Game 5 of the baseball World Series Sunday, Oct. 27, 2019, in Washington. (AP Photo\/Jeff Roberson)<\/strong><br \/>AP | AP<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"row no-gutters h-100\">\n<div class=\"col my-auto\"> <img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/cdn.postindependent.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/6\/2019\/10\/World_Series_Astros_Nationals_Baseball_88645-647f3-3-682x1024.jpg\" data-no-lazy=\"1\" alt=\"Washington Nationals pitcher Joe Ross watches a two-run home run by Houston Astros' Carlos Correa during the fourth inning of Game 5 of the baseball World Series Sunday, Oct. 27, 2019, in Washington. (AP Photo\/Jeff Roberson)\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/li>\n<li data-thumb=\"https:\/\/cdn.postindependent.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/6\/2019\/10\/World_Series_Astros_Nationals_Baseball_88645-647f3-4-150x150.jpg\" data-src=\"https:\/\/cdn.postindependent.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/6\/2019\/10\/World_Series_Astros_Nationals_Baseball_88645-647f3-4-1024x682.jpg\" data-sub-html=\"AP | AP | Houston Astros' George Springer celebrates after a two-run home run against the Washington Nationals during the ninth inning of Game 5 of the baseball World Series Sunday, Oct. 27, 2019, in Washington. (AP Photo\/Patrick Semansky)\" class=\"h-100\" readability=\"0.5\">\n<div class=\"caption\" readability=\"12\">\n<p><strong>Houston Astros&#8217; George Springer celebrates after a two-run home run against the Washington Nationals during the ninth inning of Game 5 of the baseball World Series Sunday, Oct. 27, 2019, in Washington. (AP Photo\/Patrick Semansky)<\/strong><br \/>AP | AP<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"row no-gutters h-100\">\n<div class=\"col my-auto\"> <img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/cdn.postindependent.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/6\/2019\/10\/World_Series_Astros_Nationals_Baseball_88645-647f3-4-1024x682.jpg\" data-no-lazy=\"1\" alt=\"Houston Astros' George Springer celebrates after a two-run home run against the Washington Nationals during the ninth inning of Game 5 of the baseball World Series Sunday, Oct. 27, 2019, in Washington. (AP Photo\/Patrick Semansky)\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p class=\"caption-toggle\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.postindependent.com\/sports\/cole-powerful-astros-hammer-nats-7-1-lead-world-series-3-2\/#\" class=\"show-captions\">Show Captions<\/a><a href=\"https:\/\/www.postindependent.com\/sports\/cole-powerful-astros-hammer-nats-7-1-lead-world-series-3-2\/#\" class=\"hide-captions\">Hide Captions<\/a><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p class=\"STND-STND BodyText\">WASHINGTON \u2014 The Houston Astros handed the ball to Gerrit Cole, and he gave them a firm grip on the World Series.<\/p>\n<p class=\"STND-STND BodyText\">Minus ailing ace Max Scherzer, the Nationals were no match in this Washington wipeout.<\/p>\n<p class=\"STND-STND BodyText\">Cole looked exactly like the stud who dominated baseball most of this season, bouncing back from a Game 1 clunker to pitch the Astros to a 7-1 win Sunday night and a 3-2 lead.<\/p>\n<p class=\"STND-STND BodyText\">Slumping rookie Yordan Alvarez and Carlos Correa hit early two-run homers off emergency starter Joe Ross, George Springer added another postseason drive and Houston won its third straight at Nationals Park.<\/p>\n<p class=\"STND-STND BodyText\">What a turnaround, too \u2014 outscored 17-7 overall at Minute Maid Park, Houston hammered Washington 19-3 at Nationals Park.<\/p>\n<p class=\"STND-STND BodyText\">Scherzer beat Cole in the opener, and was the Nats\u2019 best hope to slow Houston. But he was scratched just 3 1\/2 hours before gametime because of an irritated nerve near his neck, an injury that could finish him for the Series.<\/p>\n<p class=\"STND-STND BodyText\">With the road team winning every time so far, Houston heads home with two chances to claim its second title in three years. Justin Verlander gets the first try when he starts against Stephen Strasburg in Game 6 on Tuesday night.<\/p>\n<p class=\"STND-STND BodyText\">Cole threw three-hit ball for seven innings, nicked only by Juan Soto\u2019s home run in the seventh, and struck out nine.<\/p>\n<p class=\"STND-STND BodyText\">Cole\u2019s mix of 99 mph heat and sharp breaking balls induced a bevy of bad swings from the Nats as he improved to 4-1 with a 1.72 ERA this postseason. It might\u2019ve been his final start for Houston \u2014 he\u2019s eligible for free agency and figures to command a steep price.<\/p>\n<p class=\"STND-STND BodyText\">Standing tall on the mound, Cole was unflappable in the face of 43,910 fans who went from fired up to furious to flat-out frustrated.<\/p>\n<p class=\"STND-STND BodyText\">The crowd gave Ross a huge ovation when he walked onto the field for warmups, sympathetic to his situation \u2014 he had pitched a total of two innings in almost a month.<\/p>\n<p class=\"STND-STND BodyText\">But when President Donald Trump was shown on the videoboard for about 10 seconds before the fourth inning, watching from a lower-level suite, the fans let loose with loud boos and broke into a brief but very audible chant of \u201cLock him up!\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"STND-STND BodyText\">The fans weren\u2019t finished, either.<\/p>\n<p class=\"STND-STND BodyText\">Cole ended his outing by getting Victor Robles on a called third strike, a pitch the TV zone showed to be off the plate. Robles chucked his bat, helmet and gloves, and crowd soon began a derisive chant at umpire Lance Barksdale.<\/p>\n<p class=\"STND-STND BodyText\">Cole led the majors in strikeouts this year, was second to Verlander in wins and topped the AL in ERA. Yet he hardly looked like an October star in Game 1, giving up five runs over seven uneven innings.<\/p>\n<p class=\"STND-STND BodyText\">In his second round against the Nationals, he aced the test. His lone early wobble came when he dropped a return toss from catcher Martin Maldonado after a foul ball.<\/p>\n<p class=\"STND-STND BodyText\">Cole escaped a first-and-third, no-out jam in the second, then breezed into the seventh.<\/p>\n<p class=\"STND-STND BodyText\">Before the game, all the attention was on Scherzer and the late switch to Ross.<\/p>\n<p class=\"STND-STND BodyText\">\u201cTotally get the Max Scherzer shock of going from one of the top pitchers in baseball to a young kid, but we don\u2019t \u2014 we\u2019re not going to high-five,\u201d Astros manager AJ Hinch said.<\/p>\n<p class=\"STND-STND BodyText\">Alvarez, normally Houston\u2019s designated hitter, quickly justified his spot in left field. He launched a drive to left-center in the second.<\/p>\n<p class=\"STND-STND BodyText\">Alvarez hit 27 home runs in 87 games this season, but hadn\u2019t connected in 71 at-bats since Sept. 21.<\/p>\n<p class=\"STND-STND BodyText\">Correa made it 4-0 with his homer in the fourth and Yuli Gurriel added a two-out RBI single in the eighth.<\/p>\n<p class=\"STND-STND BodyText\">Springer\u2019s 15th career postseason home run \u2014 seven in the World Series for the 2017 Series MVP \u2014 finished off the rout.<\/p>\n<p class=\"STND-STND BodyText Subhead\">UP NEXT<\/p>\n<p class=\"STND-STND BodyText BoldIntro\">Nationals: Strasburg is 4-0 with a 1.93 ERA this postseason. He won the wild-card game in relief, then won starts against the Dodgers, Cardinals and Astros. He outpitched Verlander in Game 2, giving up two runs in six innings. Strasburg led the NL with 18 victories this season.<\/p>\n<p class=\"STND-STND BodyText BoldIntro\">Astros: Verlander is the only pitcher to start out 0-5 in the World Series after struggling in Game 2. He\u2019s made six starts overall in the Fall Classic with a 5.73 ERA. Verlander went 21-6 this year and led the majors in wins, but is 1-3 with a 4.15 ERA in five postseason starts.<\/p>\n<p class=\"STND-STND BodyText\">\u2014\u2014\u2014<\/p>\n<p class=\"STND-STND BodyText\">More AP MLB: <a href=\"https:\/\/apnews.com\/MLB\" rel=\"nofollow\">https:\/\/apnews.com\/MLB<\/a> and <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/AP\u2014Sports\" rel=\"nofollow\">https:\/\/twitter.com\/AP\u2014Sports<\/a><\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.postindependent.com\/sports\/cole-powerful-astros-hammer-nats-7-1-lead-world-series-3-2\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">via:: Post Independent<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Houston Astros starting pitcher Gerrit Cole throws against the Washington Nationals during the first inning of Game 5 of the baseball World Series Sunday, Oct. 27, 2019, in Washington. (AP Photo\/Patrick Semansky)AP | AP President Donald Trump is introduced during the third inning of Game 5 of the baseball World Series between the Houston Astros [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[160],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-1316156","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","category-local-news"],"acf":[],"publishpress_future_action":{"enabled":false,"date":"2026-09-06 15:55:04","action":"change-status","newStatus":"draft","terms":[],"taxonomy":"category","extraData":[]},"publishpress_future_workflow_manual_trigger":{"enabledWorkflows":[]},"distributor_meta":false,"distributor_terms":false,"distributor_media":false,"distributor_original_site_name":"KSKE Ski Country","distributor_original_site_url":"https:\/\/alwaysmountaintime.com\/kske","push-errors":false,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/alwaysmountaintime.com\/kske\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1316156","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/alwaysmountaintime.com\/kske\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/alwaysmountaintime.com\/kske\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/alwaysmountaintime.com\/kske\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/alwaysmountaintime.com\/kske\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=1316156"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/alwaysmountaintime.com\/kske\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1316156\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/alwaysmountaintime.com\/kske\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=1316156"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/alwaysmountaintime.com\/kske\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=1316156"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/alwaysmountaintime.com\/kske\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=1316156"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}