WASHINGTON — In baseball, as in many team sports, plane rides are so much more than transportation. They can be critical incubators for things like team bonding and strategy sessions, where players can work through important issues.

The Astros’ flight on Thursday from Houston to Washington — which came after they began the World Series with two uncharacteristically sloppy losses at home — provided a chance for them to gather their thoughts at 30,000 feet and remember who they really are.

“We were just trying too much, like trying to be a hero,” said Robinson Chirinos, the Astros veteran catcher, who on Friday hit a home run in Game 3 of the Series. “That’s something we talked about on the plane. Let’s have a good approach, good at-bats as a team, and don’t try to do too much.”

The Astros got off the plane and executed their plan almost to perfection, beating the Washington Nationals, 4-1, and avoiding a three-games-to-none hole from which no team has ever recovered in the World Series.