When play finally resumed, Adam Eaton popped up for the second out. But Rendon, who grew up as an Astros fan and attended Rice University in Houston, stepped up next and slammed a 1-0 slider from Verlander into the seats beyond left field, and the Nationals dugout erupted.

But not everyone was satisfied. During the break before the bottom of the inning, Martinez continued the argument and exploded in anger at the umpires. He had to be restrained by his coaches and was ejected from the game, making him the first manager ejected from a World Series since the Braves’ Bobby Cox was tossed out in 1996.

“We loved it,” said Eaton, who also homered, in the fifth inning. “We absolutely loved that he went out and showed everything he had out there.”

But through all the commotion, Strasburg remained calm and fixated on his job. He entered the game with a 4-0 record this postseason and a 1.93 earned run average. He famously worked under strict innings limits earlier in his career and was shut down once in September because of it, but on Oct. 29 he pitched eight and one-third innings on a night when Washington’s bullpen needed to be preserved in case things do not go well for Scherzer in Game 7.

Strasburg allowed five hits and two runs — both in the first inning — walked two and struck out seven in the signature moment of his career.

Justin Verlander is still looking for a positive World Series moment for himself. He started for Houston on Tuesday and pitched five innings, gave up three runs and took the loss as he fell to 0-6 in World Series games in his career. Though he is one of the best pitchers of his generation, Verlander is also the only pitcher in history to have at least seven starts and no wins in the World Series.