We are well into the first ever post COVID World Series and the Braves are winning 3-2. The series started out crazy with the Braves winning 6-2 and their best pitcher getting injured in the first inning. Charlie Morton was pitching great until a line drive hit came back to hit him in the foot. His foot was broken at that point, but he kept pitching for almost two more innings before being taken out of the game.
He still struck out three before A.J. Minter was put on the mound. Minter and three other relievers combined to only give up two runs, while Atlanta and their heavy hitters scored six to win the game. Adam Duvall had two runs batted in (RBI), as did Jorge Soler. Houston’s pitchers gave up six runs, with Framber Valdez starting the game and pitching only two innings while giving up five runs. So the Braves started the game scoring lots of points and won going away.
The Astros heavy hitters came alive in winning games 2 and 5 by outscoring Atlanta 16-7. The team of the southeast had no hitting or pitching in Game 2, while Houston couldn’t do anything wrong. Six different batters had an RBI, and their pitchers pretty much shut down their counterparts. The Braves took a quick lead in Game 5 when Adam Duvall hit a Grand Slam in the bottom of the fourth to give Atlanta a 4-0 lead.
But the Astros leader Carlos Correa finally came alive to lead his team to a 9-5 victory. Correa had three hits and two RBIs while their pitchers shut Atlanta down from the fourth inning on. Game 3 rookie starter Ian Anderson and four relievers shut the Astros down and won 2-0. They took a no-hit bid into the eighth inning, Austin Riley and Travis D’Arnaud drove in runs and the Braves took the lead in the series.
Of the 60 previous times the Series was tied 1-1, the Game 3 winner went on to win 39 times- including six of the last nine years. In Game 4 Houston took a quick 2-0 lead, before Austin Riley, Dansby Swanson, and Jorge Soler led the comeback for the Braves winning 3-2. The bullpen of Atlanta came through in the clutch once more to shut the Astros down in the last five innings.
So now the games continue tonight in Houston with Game 6 and the possibility of a winner take all Game 7 tomorrow. Can Atlanta win one more game tonight to close out the Astros and win their first championship since 1999? Will Max Fried, Atlanta’s second best pitcher, be able to regroup from his Game 2 loss? Can Carlos Correa and Freddie Freeman continue to hit and lead their teams to victory?
Can the Braves stellar bullpen continue to shine bright? Can Michael Brantley, Yuli Gurriel, and Kyle Tucker continue their torrid hitting pace for the Astros? We shall see and that’s why they play the games!
Article by: Chris Steele, iHearts143Quotes Team member
