Late on November 1st, the Houston Astros won their first World Series title in franchise history, defeating the Los Angeles Dodgers in seven historical games. Both teams played exceptionally well throughout the series, but in Game 7, the Astros secured their victory at Dodger Stadium with a score of 5-1.

In 2014, Sports Illustrated magazine predicted that in 2017, the Astros would win the World Series; at the time, the Astros were one of the worst teams in baseball with a losing record of 70-92. Despite the odds, they ended the 2017 regular season at 101-63, one of the best records in the MLB. Throughout young hitters and talented pitching, the Houston Astros successfully won the World Series. This series has been called by experts all-over “one of the craziest and most exciting contests in recent history.”

Prior to entering Game 1 of the Fall Classic, the Houston Astros barely scraped past the New York Yankees in the AL Championship Series, winning 7-1 in Game 7. On the other hand, the Los Angeles Dodgers, after finishing their regular season at 104-58, dominated the Cubs to win the series in five games. Just like that, the World Series was set: Houston Astros vs. LA Dodgers. In Game 1, the Dodgers started their ace Clayton Kershaw and cruised past the Astros at home, winning 3-1. The game, lasting barely two and a half-hours, was the shortest World Series game since 1992. Game 2 was a completely different story. Dilara Shahani ‘18 called this game “one of the most exciting games in the history of modern baseball.” Through seven innings, the Dodgers manage to scrape a 3-1 lead over the Astros over base-hits and a homerun. At the end of the 8th, the Astros score one run, and it’s 3-2 going into the final inning. Astros’ Marwin Gonzalez hits a game-tying home run in the ninth inning, making it 3-3 and the game goes into extra innings. After back-to-back homeruns, the Astros pull ahead to 5-3 in the top of the 10th inning. The Astros were three outs away from a win, when the Dodgers tie it up again in the bottom of the 10th, making it 5-5. Astros’ George Springer hits a 2-run bomb in the top of the 11th inning, and although the Dodgers score one run in the bottom, the Astros take the win. There were more homeruns in this game alone than in 46 World Series’ in history. This game lasted for over a whopping four hours.

For game 3, the Astros return to Houston where they have been undefeated at home throughout the entire postseason. This game is no exception: they defeat the Dodgers 5-3, and take a 2-1 lead in the series. Dodgers’ starting pitcher gives up four runs in the second inning and is taken out before the end of the game, concluding the shortest outing of his MLB career.

Game 4 is not very exciting, until the 9th inning. Until then, the score was 1-1 and Astros’ Yuli Gurriel and Dodgers’ Alex Wood are excellent. In the final inning, the Dodgers manage to score 5 runs, giving themselves a 6-1 lead which was the final score. Just like that, the Astros suffer their first home loss all postseason. The Astros take Game 5 after a homerun frenzy, finishing the game with a score of 13-12 with a walkoff in the bottom of the 10th.

The Dodgers forced a Game 7 by winning Game 6 with a score of 3-1. To the baseball world’s amazement, the Astros dominated in Game 7, winning 5-1, and were crowned champions of Major League Baseball. After the Astros won Game 7, Eshan Doshi ‘19 remarked, “Although the Yankees didn’t win this year, I am definitely happy to see Houston bring home their first World Series title ever, especially after everything the city has been through.”

The Houston Astros won their first World Series title this year and as a result, veteran Astros player Carlos Beltran, after playing the game for 20 years, will retire. The Dodgers honorably paid for an advertisement congratulating the Astros on their tremendous and historical victory. The city of Houston welcomed the Astros back with cheers and applause during the parade last week.

After an eventful season of reinvented outcomes, the world of baseball anticipates an amazing 2018 season!