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A20 SPORTS
Friday 25 OctOber 2019
Strasburg stars as Nats rout Astros 12-3 for 2-0 Series lead

By KRISTIE RIEKEN Long after most players
AP Sports Writer had left the field and only
HOUSTON (AP) — Stephen a handful of Nationals
Strasburg's time had come. were left, a small but bois-
Famously held out of the terous crowd of Washing-
postseason seven years ton fans assembled behind
ago, Strasburg delivered their dugout. The red-clad
on the biggest stage of all group cheered and waved
Wednesday night. their hands as players as-
The right-hander out- cended the dugout stairs,
pitched fellow ace Justin finishing up an out-of-town
Verlander, overcoming party they hope to contin-
a shaky start to help the ue at home on Friday.
Washington Nationals beat But the Astros insist the
the Houston Astros 12-3 for tough start hasn't damp-
a commanding 2-0 lead in ened their confidence.
the World Series. "We have a really good
Strasburg went six innings team," manager AJ Hinch
to earn the win — and a said. "Clearly, the Nats
group hug in the dugout have outplayed us — bot-
when he was done on the tom line. They came into
mound. our building and played
"They keep squeezing me a two really good games.
little harder every time," he Washington Nationals' Adam Eaton hits a two-run home run during the eighth inning of Game 2 of We're going to have to try
said. "That's OK." the baseball World Series against the Houston Astros Wednesday, Oct. 23, 2019, in Houston. to sleep off the latter third
Kurt Suzuki hit a tiebreaking Associated Press of this game."
homer in what became a cold, so bring your jackets Martinez was asked what's season strikeouts with 202 Added shortstop Carlos
messy six-run seventh, and and your beanies," said made Strasburg so good — another impressive statis- Correa on digging out of
the Nationals headed back slugger Anthony Rendon, this October. tic on a stellar resume that's the early hole: "If there is a
home needing two wins in who hit a two-run double in "One, he has the confi- still missing that elusive team out there that can do
three potential games in the first inning. dence to do it and two, he's World Series win. it, it's us."
Washington to claim their The 31-year-old Strasburg become a premier pitcher, "Obviously it's magnified Things went wrong imme-
first championship. had waited years for this a big-game pitcher," Mar- in the World Series when diately for Verlander when
Adam Eaton paraded chance. Back in 2012, he tinez said. "He doesn't get you're not clicking on all he walked leadoff man
around the bases pointing was about two years re- rattled." cylinders," Verlander said. Trea Turner on four pitch-
to the Houston crowd af- moved from Tommy John Verlander, so good in the Their wins against Houston's es. Eaton, who homered
ter a late home run as the surgery when Nationals regular season, fell to 0-5 best pitchers turned the in the eighth, singled be-
Nationals won their eighth brass decided protecting in six World Series starts. He underdog Nationals into fore Rendon, the Houston
in a row. They've won 18 of his elbow was more impor- gave up seven hits and four heavy favorites to take the native who said he'd cer-
20 overall dating back to tant than pitching him in runs, and was lifted after title. tainly have 100 friends and
the regular season, with the the playoffs, so he was shut walking a batter following Only three of the previous family members at Minute
last two over AL Cy Young down late in a season full of Suzuki's home run. 25 teams to lose the first two Maid Park for each game,
Award favorites Gerrit Cole promise. Verlander led the majors games at home under the knocked a ball off the wall
and Verlander. Making his Series debut, with 21 wins this season and 2-3-2 format have come in left field to put the Na-
Game 3 is Friday night Strasburg allowed a two- struck out a career-high back to win the Series. No tionals up 2-0.
when Aníbal Sánchez op- run homer to Alex Bregman 300 to reach 3,000 in his ca- one has done it since the "This is my city. I love Hous-
poses Houston's Zack Gre- in the first before throwing reer. He has a World Series 1996 New York Yankees. ton," Rendon said. "We
inke in the first World Series five shutout innings to im- ring, MVP and Cy Young "I wish I was a betting man, were going to try to just
game in the nation's capi- prove to 4-0 this postsea- Award trophies, and three but I'm not," Martinez said. steal one game and we
tal since 1933. son. He allowed seven hits no-hitters to his name. "I don't really believe in that just happened to steal two,
"Probably going to be a and struck out seven. He fanned six to become stuff. ... We're here because and we've got to take care
little frigid, might be a little Nationals manager Dave the career leader in post- the boys never gave up." of business at home." q
Trump gives Presidential Medal of Freedom to racing’s Penske

By KEVIN FREKING legacy that will endure for- workers around the world,
Associated Press ever." and he has spent consider-
WASHINGTON (AP) — Presi- After a short but successful able hours and dollars try-
dent Donald Trump award- racing career, Penske built ing to revitalize Detroit.
ed one of the nation's high- a car dealership into the "To me it means more than
est civilian honors to Roger Penske Corp. He began any business success or
Penske, a businessman Roger Penske Racing in motorsports trophy," Penske
and founder of one of the 1966, and cars owned and said.
world's most successful mo- prepared by Team Penske Trump has focused mostly
torsports teams. have scored hundreds of on sports stars this year
Penske received the Presi- racing victories over the when presenting the Med-
dential Medal of Freedom years, including 18 India- al of Freedom, which is
on Thursday during a White napolis 500 wins. given to people who have
House ceremony in the Trump said Penske is also made special contributions President Donald Trump presents the Presidential Medal of
Freedom to auto racing great Roger Penske during a ceremony
Oval Office. The president a successful businessman to the national interests of in the Oval Office of the White House, Thursday, Oct. 24, 2019,
described Penske as a man and philanthropist. His com- the United States, its culture in Washington.
who has "built a team and pany employs some 64,000 or world peace.q Associated Press