WASHINGTON — With one on and one out in the top of the 7th inning, first baseman Howie Kendrick stepped up in a big way, crushing a 336-foot home run to right field, to give the Nationals a 3-2 lead over the Astros.
Nats fans cheered as he rounded the bases, knowing the best was still to come. Kendrick danced through a line of his teammates in what has become the internet's favorite World Series celebration ritual, ending by sliding onto the bench by teammate Adam Eaton and "igniting the clutch."
The Nationals made "the dugout dance" a regular part of their in-game experience back in May after the acquisition of outfielder Gerardo Parra.
You can see a version of the dance, with Eaton homering, from Game 2 of the World Series below.
Should the Nationals manage to hold onto their lead for the game's final three innings, it would give Washington its first baseball championship since the Senators won the 1924 World Series. Kendrick could ultimately prove to be the biggest reason for his team's potentially historic postseason run, as he also hit the game-winning grand slam in the 10th inning of the Nationals' Game 5 win over the Los Angeles Dodgers in the National League Divison Series.