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Oct. 30 (UPI) -- The Washington Nationals used a strong outing from Stephen Strasburg and three home runs to beat the Houston Astros 7-2 on Tuesday night at Minute Maid Park to force Game 7 in the 2019 World Series. In this year's postseason, Strasburg has pitched in six games and the Nationals have emerged victorious in each of them. With the Nationals on the brink of elimination, the 31-year-old right-hander delivered his most important performance of the playoffs.
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Strasburg allowed only two earned runs on five hits across 8 1/3 innings. He recorded seven strikeouts and walked two.
The Nationals jumped ahead with an RBI single by Anthony Rendon in the first. In the bottom of the inning, the Astros tagged Strasburg for two runs following Jose Altuve's sacrifice fly and Alex Bregman's home run.
Adam Eaton and Juan Soto each blasted solo home runs off Justin Verlander in the fifth to give the Nationals a 3-2 lead. Rendon, who had five RBIs in the game, had a two-run homer in the seventh to push Washington's advantage to 5-2.
In the ninth, Rendon came through again with a two-run double to right field off Chris Devenski, clinching the Nationals' series-tying road win. Through six games in the World Series, the visiting team has won each contest.
The winner-take-all Game 7 is scheduled for Wednesday night at Minute Maid Park in Houston. Nationals ace Max Scherzer, aided by a cortisone injection, will start against the Astros' Zack Greinke.
Visiting teams have secured three consecutive victories in Game 7 in the World Series since the St. Louis Cardinals beat the Texas Rangers at home in 2011.
