HOUSTON — It wasn’t dominant and it certainly wasn’t crisp. It wasn’t vintage Max Scherzer and rather than “breathing fire,” as an opponent suggested Wednesday, the righthander spent most of his start dousing sparks, not spitting them. It wasn’t easy, breezy, and it wouldn’t be memorable for any reason other than what Scherzer’s start was in the end.
A transplanted team that wandered through the first third of this season and liked to fancy itself best when faced with elimination, proved it with championship mettle Wednesday. Personified by Scherzer’s guile, the Washington Nationals rallied with two home runs in the same inning to upend Houston and claim the 115th World Series with a 6-2 victory in Game 7 at Minute Maid Park.