Gerrit Cole was dominant over seven innings as the Houston Astros defeated the Washington Nationals 7-1 on Sunday night to take a 3-2 lead in the World Series.

Cole, who lost earlier in the series for the first time since May, struck out nine and allowed one run on three hits. Juan Soto homered off Cole in the seventh for Washington's only run of the game.

Joe Ross was pressed into duty for the Nationals after Max Scherzer, who was scheduled to start, was scratched due to neck spasms.

Ross allowed four runs in five innings. He struck out one, walked two and allowed five hits. Yordan Alvarez hit a two-run home run in the second and Carlos Correa followed it up with a two-run blast of his own in the fourth.

Already leading 4-1, Yuli Gurriel had an RBI single in the eighth and George Springer hit a two-run home run off Daniel Hudson in the ninth.

The road team has won every game of the series so far as the action shifts back to Houston.

The Nationals will turn to Stephen Strasburg and the Astros will start Justin Verlander in Game 6 on Tuesday night.