Harry How/Getty Images(LOS ANGELES) — The World Series trophy will call Houston home for the first time.
The Houston Astros took Game 7 on the road in Los Angeles on Wednesday night, 5-1, behind the strong pitching of Lance McCullers Jr., Brad Peacock and Charlie Morton, and the slugging of outfielder George Springer.
Springer, who was 2-for-4 with a double and a home run that chased Dodgers starter Yu Darvish, was named MVP.
Morton, an unlikely veteran star, did not allow a baserunner over the final three innings, and was given the win.
The title comes two months after the city of Houston was devastated by Hurricane Harvey. The city suffered extreme flooding and dozens of deaths. The city rallied around its Astros in the wake of the disastrous storm. The team wore a “Houston Strong” patch on their jerseys throughout the postseason.
“They were hit hard,” Astros owner Jim Crane said on the dais when presented the commissioner’s trophy. “Everybody picked up on us. Everybody got behind us.”
The Astros — winners of 100 games for just the second time in franchise history — were one of the favorites to win the World Series entering the postseason, but they had to rally from a 3-2 American League Championship Series deficit to the New York Yankees to do so.
The Dodgers were looking to pull the same against the Astros in the World Series — returning home trailing 3-2 in the series. But after pitching their way into a Game 7, the decisive game for the Dodgers went sour from the start.
Springer led off the game with a double and would later score on a throwing error. Alex Bregman would score the second run of the first inning on a groundout by Jose Altuve. It would be the only runs the Astros would need.
The Astros would pile on three more runs in the second inning, though.
Brian McCann scored on a groundout by McCullers, but it was Springer’s two-run homer that chased Darvish from the game. Darvish, a big midseason addition by Los Angeles, finished with 1 2/3 innings pitched and four earned runs.
The Dodgers scored their only run in the sixth inning on a single by veteran Andre Ethier.
The Astros set a record for the most home runs hit in a World Series with 15, while Springer tied the record for most homers in a World Series with five.
Springer, a first-round pick from the University of Connecticut in 2011, was part of a team built around homegrown stars. In addition to Springer, the team developed Altuve — one of the favorites to win the 2017 AL MVP — and 2012 No. 1 overall pick Carlos Correa the 2015 Rookie of the Year and a 2017 All-Star.
Copyright © 2017, ABC Radio. All rights reserved.