Howie Kendrick turned Game 7 of the World Series on its head in the seventh inning. The game felt like it was all Astros as Zack Greinke was pitching a gem and Max Scherzer kept having to pitch out of jams.
With the Astros up 2-0, Greinke returned to the mound to start the seventh. After getting Adam Eaton to ground out, Greinke served up a solo homer to Anthony Rendon, finally putting the Nationals on the board. Greinke then walked Juan Soto, which prompted manager A.J. Hinch to take him out of the game.
Will Harris entered to face Kendrick. He made an altogether not terrible 0-1 pitch, throwing a cutter low and on the outer-third of the plate. Kendrick put a good swing on it, though, driving it down the right field line. With everyone holding their breath, the ball loudly clanked off the foul pole for a two-run homer, giving the Nationals a 3-2 lead.
HOWIE FEELING, NATS FANS?! pic.twitter.com/TTO7sHHd5j
— MLB (@MLB) October 31, 2019
The Nationals continued to rally against the Astros’ bullpen. Asdrúbal Cabrera singled to end Harris’s night. Hinch brought in Roberto Osuna to put out the fire, but he walked the first batter he faced in Ryan Zimmerman. He saw his way through the seventh by getting Yan Gomes to pop up and Victor Robles to fly out.
According to FanGraphs, the Nationals’ win probability was 15 percent after Eaton’s ground out. They enter the bottom of the seventh with a 68 percent chance to win. Life comes at you fast.