Last month, the 2019 pennant winners in each of the American major leagues played in the 115th World Series.
For the first time in the team’s history, the Washington Nationals championed the National League.
And for the second time in the last three years, the Houston Astros would champion the American league.
In the previous 114 World Series, only three times had the home team won every game: in 1987, with the Minnesota Twins beating the St. Louis Cardinals; in '91, when the Twins were victorious over the Atlanta Braves; and in 2001, when the Arizona Diamondbacks defeated the NY Yankees.
The home team had never lost every game before.
But this time, that happened; the home fans left disappointed after each game.
In the first homestand for the Astros, the Nationals got nearly two and a half times as many runs.
When they got to Washington, the Astros outscored them by over six to one.
And in the final games in Houston, the Nationals’s runs ratio was more than triple.
We next look at the TBAR/PAs (total bases advanced or relinquished per plate appearance) of several of the batters on each of these teams.
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Eight Nationals each had more than 20 plate appearances during the Series.
Trea Turner had 34; Adam Eaton and Juan Soto each had 32; Anthony Rendon, 31; Ryan Zimmerman, 28; Victor Robles, 27; Howie Kendrick, 26; and Asdrúbal Cabrera had 23.
Seven Astros each had more than 20 plate appearances during the Series.
George Springer and José Altuve each had 34; Michael Brantley, 32; Alex Bregman and Yuli Gurriel each with 31; Carlos Correa, 30; and Yordan Alvarez had 21.
In the first games in Houston, it took the Nationals only 4.765 plate appearances to score each run (81/17); that was .210 runs scored for every plate appearance (17/81)!
And the Astros needed 11.286 plate appearances to get a run (79/7), just .089 runs per plate appearance (7/79).
During the games played in Washington, the Astros averaged 6.526 plate appearances for each run (124/19): .153 runs scored on a plate appearance (19/124).
And there at home, the Nationals were using 36.333 plate appearances for a run (109/3), merely .028 runs for every plate appearance (3/109)!
Back to Houston, and the Nationals required 6.153 plate appearances in getting each run (80/13); this was
.163 runs gotten on each plate appearance (13/80).
While the Astros had to use 18.500 plate appearances to score a run (74/4): only .054 runs with every plate appearance (4/74).
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