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An improbable sequence of events -- some luck, some skill -- has Washington heading home with a title in sight.

Here are a few key takeaways after Houston fell apart and Washington seized control of the World Series.

Justin Verlander became the career leader in postseason strikeouts Wednesday when he surpassed John Smoltz's mark of 199 by fanning Victor Robles in the second inning of Game 2 of the World Series.

Both teams' bats heated up in the first inning, highlighted by Alex Bregman's two-run homer.

Although George Springer defended how he ran out an eighth-inning double in Game 1 of the World Series, Astros manager AJ Hinch said Wednesday that the two discussed the play, and he thinks Springer made an "honest mistake" in not reaching third.

Commissioner Rob Manfred expressed concern Wednesday about the "underlying substance of the situation" stemming from events that led MLB to investigate the behavior of Astros assistant GM Brandon Taubman.

Major League Baseball and its players' union are optimistic talks are progressing on testing for opioids following the death of Angels pitcher Tyler Skaggs.

A spokesman for Major League Baseball said the league is aware of longtime umpire Rob Drake's tweet and is looking into it.

The World Series opener between the Nationals and Astros was down 11.4% for Fox from last year's Game 1 and narrowly averted setting a record low for TV audience.

The Angels' Mike Trout and the Brewers' Christian Yelich, who both missed most of the stretch run with injuries, were honored with the Hank Aaron Award for outstanding offensive performance this season.

By hiring a hero from their 2016 title team as their new manager, the Cubs are showing trust in his vision for what comes next.

The Cubs will name David Ross, who helped them win the 2016 World Series, as their manager Thursday.

Frank Coonelly is out as team president after the Pirates missed the playoffs for the fourth consecutive year.

Houston's mettle will be tested after the Astros saw their best weapon miss the mark in Game 1 against the Nationals.

We choose between the Game 2 starters, weigh in on Houston's ballpark and make our Wednesday picks.

The Nationals' young superstar made Houston's ace look mortal, which hasn't been the case in quite some time.

The Nationals' pitching staff dug deep to take the opener, but will that work as the World Series goes on?

Here are a few key takeaways as the Nationals grab a W in their first Fall Classic game ever.

Astros outfielder George Springer set a record Tuesday night when he homered in his fifth consecutive World Series game.

Nationals outfielder Juan Soto, 20, became the second-youngest player in MLB history to homer in his first World Series game, with only Andruw Jones (19) being younger.