HOUSTON — First came silence from the shocked Houston Astros fans, then some grumbling, and finally a round of sarcastic claps and whistles when the home team finally converted a routine play. The way their team was playing, there was little else to cheer.

In a game that was as surprising as it was lopsided, a strong performance from Washington pitcher Stephen Strasburg and an utter collapse by the Astros gave the Nationals a 12-3 victory in Game 2 of the World Series and stunned the crowd at Minute Maid Park.

The Nationals, playing in their first World Series, grabbed a two-games-to-none lead and are now heading home for the next three games, beginning Friday night at Nationals Park.

Washington has history on its side: Only three teams have lost the first two games of the World Series at home and gone on to win the title — the 1985 Kansas City Royals, the 1986 Mets and the 1996 Yankees. For the Astros, who won the 2017 World Series in seven games, joining that group will require summoning all of their experience and skill to reverse course immediately.