WASHINGTON — With the Nationals gearing up for Game 6 of the World Series, here are 10 things you should know.
- The road team has won the first five games of the World Series -- tied for the most consecutive games won by the road team. Unfortunately, the road team has never won Game 6.
- Overall, road teams have won seven straight World Series games. That’s the longest streak in postseason history.
- The Nationals have won six straight road games in a single postseason. That's a Major League record for a team from the National League.
- The Nationals' backs are against the wall again. They trailed 3-1 going into the eighth inning against the Brewers in the Wild Card Game, but rallied to win 4-3 to advance in the playoffs for the first time in franchise history. They also trailed the Dodgers 3-1 in a deciding Game 5 of the National League Division Series, before rallying back to win 7-3 in 10 innings, advancing to the NLCS for the first time in franchise history (2005-present).
- The last five World Series titles have been clinched by the road team. The 2013 Red Sox were the last team to clinch the World Series at home.
- Nationals pitcher Stephen Strasburg is 4-0 this postseason. Every game Strasburg has appeared in, the Nationals have won. These are the only pitchers to start five team wins in a single postseason: Madison Bumgarner (2014), Chris Carpenter (2011), Cliff Lee (2009), Cole Hamels (2008), Curt Schilling (2001), Andy Pettitte (2000). Strasburg has a 1.34 career ERA in the postseason. Only Sandy Koufax has had a better ERA in postseason history with a minimum of at least seven starts. Max Scherzer has also started 4 Washington wins this postseason.
- Strasburg only needs 10 strikeouts to join Schilling in becoming the second pitcher with 50 strikeouts in a single postseason.
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- The starting pitcher for the Astros in Game 6 has really struggled in the World Series. Justin Verlander is a surprising 0-5 record in six career World Series starts -- the most World Series starts by anyone without a win. Two of his losses this postseason have come in potential series-clinching games (ALDS Game 4 and ALCS Game 5).
- It’s happened before so it could happen again. The only other time a D.C. baseball team trailed 3-2 in a World Series was 1924 and the Washington Senators ended up winning Games 6 and 7 by one run each with Game 7 ending after 12 innings. The game holds the record as the longest Game 7 (by innings) in postseason history.
- The Astros are 2-3 this postseason in clinch opportunities. Only eight teams in MLB history have lost four clinch opportunities in the same postseason (last: 2012 Cardinals). The only team to win the World Series after losing three clinch opportunities in the same postseason was the 1972 Athletics.