HOUSTON -- Thursday night, the Houston Astros and Washington Nationals opened the 2019 World Series with a Game 1 win at Minute Maid Park (WAS 5, HOU 4). Yuli Gurriel's two-run double gave the home team a 2-0 first inning lead in the first inning. It did not take the Nationals long to answer back. Franchise icon Ryan Zimmerman clubbed a solo home run in the top of the second inning against Gerrit Cole. 

Cole missed out over the plate with a fastball, and Zimmerman hit it out to dead center field.

"It's been a long ride, I think," Zimmerman said after Game 1. "Especially to start the way we did and the way we've been playing the last couple of months. First at-bat to hit a home run and run around the bases, you're kind of almost floating around the bases."

Here is the video of Zimmerman's homer, the first of the 2019 World Series:

That's no cheapie. It had a 107 mph exit velocity. Zimmerman hit only six home runs in 52 regular season games while be derailed by injuries. He now has two home runs in the postseason. He also took Pedro Baez deep in Game 4 of the NLDS.

"He's been here forever," Patrick Corbin said after Game 1. "For him to come up with a huge hit in his first ever World Series at-bat, it's gotta feel pretty good for him."  

This is the Nationals first ever trip to the World Series and thus Zimmerman's first trip to the World Series. It is fitting that he clubbed the franchise's first World Series homer. His 1,689 regular season games were the most among active players who had never played in the World Series.

Max Scherzer added: "What he means to this team and our ball club, he's been here for so long. We're all just ecstatic to see him go out there and have this type of postseason and see him contribute."

At 34 years and 24 days, Zimmerman is also the oldest player in baseball history to hit a home run in his first World Series game, and he did it in his first Fall Classic at-bat.

"I'll be honest with you, my eyes got a little watery for him," manager Dave Martinez said.. He waited a long time to be in this position, and for him to hit that first home run and put us on the board was awesome."