Page 20 - AT

A20 SPORTS
Friday 1 November 2019
Clutch Kendrick lands winning blow as Nats take World Series

By RONALD BLUM Martinez said.
AP Baseball Writer Kendrick immediately do-
HOUSTON (AP) — Howie nated the ball, with a yel-
Kendrick sure has a knack low streak of paint from
for the dramatic. hitting the screen, to the
At 36 — eight years re- Hall of Fame, a part of his
moved from his only All- career to be celebrated at
Star appearance — his go- Cooperstown.
ahead, two-run homer off He first came up to the ma-
Will Harris in the seventh in- jor leagues with the Angels
ning lifted the Washington in 2006. He thought back to
Nationals over the Houston a three-week demotion to
Astros 6-2 Wednesday night the minors in 2009, when he
in Game 7 for his team's first was hitting just .231.
World Series title. "Probably the lowest I was
Steady-handed and bat- at in my career," Kendrick
tle-tested, Kendrick came said. "And Torii Hunter told
through at the biggest mo- me, he goes, man, when
ments of the Nationals' Oc- you come back you're go-
tober run. ing to be a completely dif-
"He's been one of the heart ferent guy. And it feels like
and souls of this team," Na- ever since that time I've
tionals manager Dave Mar- been a better player, a
tinez said. Washington Nationals' Howie Kendrick hits a two-run home run against the Houston Astros during more confident player and
Kendrick's grand slam the seventh inning of Game 7 of the baseball World Series Wednesday, Oct. 30, 2019, in Houston. just more of a teammate,
against Joe Kelly broke a Associated Press more of a veteran guy."
10th-inning tie in the deci- Kendrick signed with the
sive Game 5 of the Division boisterous visitors' club- in the World Series when he and drove a cutter on the Dodgers after the 2015 sea-
Series, giving the Nationals house. "So for me, that's still came to the plate in the low, outside corner down son, then got dealt to Phila-
a 7-3 win — just the second got to be the top moment seventh inning of Game 7. the right field line. George delphia in November 2016.
extra-inning slam in post- in my career, but this is truly Anthony Rendon had just Springer sprinted toward "I was kind of thinking about
season history. special." homered off Zack Greinke, the corner. Harris watched. retirement," he said.
"The grand slam is still the Kendrick hit .333 with four cutting the Nationals' defi- The crowd was silenced, He kept on playing and
biggest moment because doubles and four RBIs in a cit to 2-1. hoping the ball would be was traded to Washington
we wouldn't be here with- League Championship Se- Juan Soto walked on five caught or curve foul. in July 2017 and re-signed
out that," Kendrick said as ries sweep of St. Louis, earn- pitches and Harris relieved. Instead, it bounced off the with the Nationals during
teammates sprayed beer ing MVP. Kendrick swung over a foul pole screen. the offseason.
and bubbly on him in the He was 5 for 22 with one RBI curveball at the knees Kendrick shouted his way His first full season with
around the bases and Washington ended early in
danced in the dugout with 2018, when he tore his right
his younger teammates. For Achilles tendon while re-
one last time this season, treating to catch a fly ball
Kendrick and Adam Ea- to left field against the Los
ton celebrated by shifting Angeles Dodgers on May
gears and slamming the 19. Even then, he didn't get
gas pedal in their imaginary too down.
car. Forget about over the "There's no point in being
hill — Kendrick showed he mopey about it," he said.
still had plenty in the tank. "It won't heal as fast. So the
He became the second happier I am, the faster I'll
player to hit a home run in a heal."
winner-take-all Series game Kendrick caught Martinez's
from the seventh inning on attention during training
that took his team from a camp.
deficit into the lead, follow- "When he showed up at
ing an eighth-inning drive spring training we thought
by Pittsburgh's Hal Smith in he wasn't going to be able
Game 7 of the 1960 Series to do much," the manager
against the New York Yan- recalled. "I had to kind of
kees. ease his way, to say, 'Hey,
He's also the only player 36 look, one, you're not a
or older to hit a go-ahead spring chicken anymore.'"
homer in the seventh inning Kendrick wound up hitting
or later of a winner-take- .344 with 17 homers and
all postseason game. Of 62 RBIs in 121 games, miss-
course, he's done it twice, ing time in August with a
both this year. strained left hamstring.
Kendrick singled in the Little did he know his signa-
eighth, reaching for the ture moments were ahead.
third time. Two of them.
"There's guys in a big mo- "It makes it all the work
ment you want up there," worth it," he said.q