Kendrick: Astros couldn't take out Nationals 'even with them cheating'

Washington Nationals veteran infielder Howie Kendrick isn't letting the Houston Astros' illegal sign-stealing scheme be forgotten amid baseball's ongoing hiatus.

Kendrick reflected Sunday on the Nationals' postseason run, which culminated in the franchise's first World Series title when Washington took down Houston in seven games.

"Everybody expected us to get steamrolled by the Astros, but even with them cheating, they still couldn't take us out," Kendrick said with a smile during the Nationals' unveiling of their World Series ring design, according to Scott Allen of The Washington Post.

The 107-win Astros were the heavy favorites over Kendrick and the wild-card Nationals. Washington became an even bigger underdog when it lost Game 5 at home and went back to Houston down 3-2 in the series.

Kendrick played a big role in the Nationals' comeback, with his most important contribution coming in Game 7 when he hit a go-ahead home run off Astros reliever Will Harris in the seventh inning.