With a 7-1 victory Sunday night, the Houston Astros have now won three straight games over the Washington Nationals and are one win away from their second World Series title in three years. The Astros dropped the first two games at home, but have bounced back with three consecutive road wins to take command of the series. They will have two opportunities to close out the Nationals in Houston.
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A dominant pitching performance from ace Gerrit Cole and three timely two-run home runs sparked Sunday’s victory for Houston. Shortstop Carlos Correa delivered a two-run blast in the fourth inning that gave the Astros a comfortable 4-0 lead they would never relinquish.
Astros fans have come to expect big plays from their young shortstop.
Correa, 25, burst onto the scene with Houston in 2015, when he won American League Rookie of the Year. In 2017, Correa was named to the All-Star team and was a key contributor in the Astros’ run to the first World Series championship in franchise history.
Yet Correa’s impact has been felt far beyond the baseball diamond. When Hurricane Harvey hit Houston in August 2017, Correa was one of many athletes who chipped in to help. Correa worked with Houston Children’s Charity and Texas Mattress Makers to distribute mattresses, frames and linens to 500 kids affected by the hurricane. He also spearheaded a fundraising campaign for the charity.
A month after Harvey, Correa watched as Hurricane Maria hit his native Puerto Rico. So he asked for help from Astros’ owner Jim Crane, who provided cargo planes for shipping food, water and other supplies to the island. Later, Correa surprised local children with a daylong toy drive.
#Astros shortstop @TeamCJCorrea sends his prayers to Houston and Corpus Christi. pic.twitter.com/d7tOaxuJBF
— Anthony Galaviz (@agalaviz_TheBee) August 27, 2017
Correa has cited his faith numerous times on social media since entering the big leagues. Earlier this postseason, after becoming the youngest player to reach 10 home runs in the playoffs, Correa took to Instagram to thank God:
https://www.instagram.com/p/B3xEFvAFF3L/
His Instagram bio says “God… Family… Baseball” and cites Colossians 3:23 — “Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for human masters.”
Correa and the Astros will take on the Nationals again Tuesday at 8 p.m. ET in Houston. They would be crowned World Series champions with a victory.
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