Baseball Champion Washington Nats: The long fight for the title

It has been common for some years for teams to get a special hashtag for the playoffs. This is to unify club and fans for the decisive weeks of the season. #STAYINTHEFIGHT was the hashtag of the Washington Nationals. A motto that became a homerun for the baseball players from the US capital.

Because their knockout was a single fight. A sometimes hopeless fight. Against seemingly overpowering opponents. But they never gave up anyway. Always on. No matter how hopeless it seemed. They have stayed in combat - and now for the first time Master of Major League Baseball.

The decisive fourth victory in the World Series, Washington succeeded against the favored Houston Astros by a 6-2 on Wednesday. "We never gave up, kept fighting, I could not be more proud of this team, what a story," said Ryan Zimmerman. He plays for the club since the club came to Washington from Montreal in 2005.

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The Nationals decided a final 4: 3 series that went down in MLB history. For the first time, the guest teams won all seven games. Washington's success comes as a surprise. The club started with 19:31 victories. In the playoffs has always been in the first round so far off. But now eleven victories will be achieved in 30 days - eight of them one after the other away.

Even more noteworthy, Washington were ahead of the play-offs against Milwaukee and the Los Angeles Dodgers in the final game of the eighth inning on five occasions, but still won all the games. Also in the 6-2 triumph in Houston the opponent had led to the seventh inning 2-0. A proper explanation for these game histories does not have Third Baseman Anthony Rendon. Just this: "We held together, just fought on and are now at the top."

Everyone has contributed their share to the success, from number one to number 25, said Max Scherzer. The 35-year-old has played in the MLB since 2008 and is one of the outstanding pitchers. His only drawback: He was until now a title-less top star. Everyone knew he needed to play an important role should Washington have a chance. And the prelude was promising.

With a syringe fit

Scherzer had played in the 5/4 victory in the first match in Houston and should, according to the rotation, in the fifth game back on the throwing hill. But he had to cancel, had such a strong neck pain that he could not lift his right limb. On the flight to Houston on Monday Scherzer wore a neck brace. His season seemed over.

After a cortisone injection, he was on Tuesday in training on the court. "He is our starter for Game Seven," announced coach Dave Martinez. But to reach this seventh game, the Nationals first had to win the sixth game. And that, after they had just lost all three games at home and the momentum was clear on the part of the Astros. But the Nationals had in Stephen Strasburg yet another world-class launcher. He pitched superbly and laid the groundwork for a 7-2 victory with his clever throws - and the showdown between Scherzer and Houston's Zack Greinke in the crucial seventh game.

Mike Ehrmann / Getty Images / AFP

Star pitcher of the Nats: Max Scherzer

Although Scherzer allowed two runs in his five innings, Houston were 2-0 ahead. However, he especially made for mitigation. Because six times were Astros players in promising positions and could have expanded in another successful strike the lead. Greinke, on the other hand, seemed untouchable for six innings. No matter how the Nationals players swung their clubs, they just did not hit his balls. And even as Rendon in the seventh inning with a homerun shortened to 1: 2, the Astros still thought themselves in masterful spheres.

The crash came when Greinke left the mound. Will Harris, who replaced him, found Juan Soto on First Base and Howard Kendrick on the field. And the latter took equal Harris' second litter to a two-run homerun - and thus to 3: 2-Gästefühung. It was the decisive action, the leadership no longer gave the Nats and won 6: 2. "We were down today, but none of us thought we'd lost," Dave Martinez said proudly. His team had fought all year round, the coach, who remembered the playoff hashtag at the moment of the biggest triumph. "You know what, we stayed in the fight and we won the fight."

And that's why the Nationals had already updated their Twitter account a few minutes after the triumph. FIGHT FINISHED.

For the first time in 95 years, the #WorldSeries champions are from Washington, DC. # STAYINTHEFIGHT pic.twitter.com/wxYc9XbQYo