The Atlanta Braves defeated the Houston Astros in Game 1 of the World Series, 6-2.
The Braves got on top of the Astros early, scoring a quick five runs off Houston starter Framber Valdez. The Astros’ left-hander was knocked out of the game in just the third inning after a disappointing outing.
Atlanta starter Charlie Morton looked good early but took a rocket comebacker off the bat of Yuli Gurriel to the shin the second inning, breaking his fibula. Morton actually stayed in the game until the next inning and left after striking out Jose Altuve. The Braves announced that he will miss the rest of the series.
After Morton was forced to exit, the Braves bullpen went to work, keeping the Astros potent lineup mostly at bay for the rest of the game.?
Game 2 is set for Wednesday night at Minute Maid Park in Houston. The first pitch is scheduled for 8:09 p.m. ET.
It’s do or die for Houston in Game 1. They’re coming up in the bottom of the ninth down four runs, 6-2, to the Atlanta Braves.
Atlanta’s bullpen has been brilliant tonight but the Astros’ bats finally showed some life in the eighth inning. Let’s see if they have a late rally in them.
We’re heading to the ninth inning with Atlanta up 6-2 on Houston.
The Astros got one back in the eighth after Yordan Alvarez tripled and Carlos Correa knocked him in. But the Braves still lead by four with just one inning to go.
The Astros’ big bats have been kept quiet tonight.
Houston leadoff man Jose Altuve is 0-4 has stuck-out three times. Carlos Correa and Yordan Alvarez have also failed to get hits in the game thus far. Altogether, the Astros have only managed 6 hits compared to Atlanta’s eleven.
Credit the Braves relief pitching, which has been outstanding since manager Brian Snitker was forced to go to his bullpen early after starter Charlie Morton was knocked out of the game in the third inning. Morton fractured his fibula when a Yuli Gurriel comeback ground ball hit him in the right leg in the second inning.
Houston Astros reliever Jake Odorizzi was brilliant tonight.?
He became the first pitcher since 2012 to have five strikeouts, zero walks, and give up zero or one hit in a World Series relief appearance, the team tweeted.
It’s been an exciting start to the Fall Classic in Houston tonight!
If you’re just reading in now here are some of the highlights from Game 1:
The Atlanta Braves are leading Game 1 of the World Series heading into the 7th inning in Houston.?
The Astros threatened in the sixth. Kyle Tucker got on with a one-out single to center. Yuli Gurriel advanced Tucker to second with a hit-and-run groundout. But Chas McCormick couldn’t knock him in, striking out to end the inning.
Atlanta pitcher A.J. Minter has put in some crucial relief work after Braves starting pitcher Charlie Morton was knocked out of the game in the third with a leg injury.
Minter got three strikeouts on 43 pitches — a new career-high for pitches thrown in a game for him.
Atlanta is holding onto a four-run lead heading to the sixth inning, up 5-1.
Braves Game 1 starter Charlie Morton will miss the rest of the World Series after fracturing his right fibula, the team tweeted tonight.
Morton took a rocket comeback grounder to the right shin off the bat of Yuli Gurriel in the second inning. He left the game in the following inning after striking out Jose Altuve.
Morton got an X-ray after exiting, which revealed the fractured fibula. The team expects to have him back for Spring Training in 2022.
Read the tweet:
Houston’s Kyle Tucker got on base with a double then Yuli Gurriel followed with a base hit to the left. Tucker was forced to hold at third.
The next man up, Chas McCormick, hit a ground ball to shortstop that ate up Dansby Swanson which bounced hard off his hand. Tucker scored on the error by Swanson.
Atlanta: 5, Houston: 1.
Astros pitcher Jake Odorizzi struck out three for his team in the fourth inning, but Houston is going to have to get their bats going if they want to get back in the game.
The Astros are still down by five runs in the bottom half of the fourth.
It’s going to be a duel of the bullpens the rest of the way as both starting pitchers were knocked out early in Game 1.
Now both starting pitchers have been knocked out of the game.
Braves starter Charlie Morton left in the bottom of the third with an apparent leg injury after striking out Jose Altuve. Morton took a nasty shot to the right shin off a Yuli Gurriel comebacker earlier in the game.
A.J. Minter coming in for Atlanta. Braves up 5-0 in the third.
The night is over for Framber Valdez.
The red-hot Eddie Rosario led off the third inning for the Braves with a single on a breaking ball from the Houston left-hander. It was the Braves’ seventh hit against the Houston starter with the game only in the top of the third.
The next man up, Adam Duvall, smoked a shot to left field that easily left the park. Braves up 5-0. Houston is going to their bullpen.
The Braves extended their lead over Houston in the top of the second as Jorge Soler knocked in another run with a ground ball to shortstop.
Atlanta might’ve had more in the inning if not for a poor baserunning decision by Joc Pederson, allowing himself to be tagged out between second and third for the second out on the Soler grounder.
The Braves loaded the bases up with two outs. But Framber Valdez managed to strike out Austin Riley to get himself out of the inning.
Houston’s Valdez, who pitched brilliantly in Game 5 of the ALCS vs. Boston, looks to be struggling early.
Take a look at the schedule for the rest of the best-of-seven series.
Here is the complete World Series schedule:
All of the games will begin at 8:09 p.m. ET, except for Game 5, which will begin at 8:15 p.m. ET. The games will all be shown on TV by Fox.
Braves starter Charlie Morton gets himself out of a jam in the first. The right-hander loaded the bases but managed to get Kyle Tucker to ground out and preserve his team’s 2-0 lead.
It was a historic start to the Fall Classic. Braves DH and leadoff man Jorge Soler took Houston’s Framber Valdez deep in the first at-bat of the World Series.
Soler becomes the first player to hit a home run in the first plate appearance of a World Series.
Boom! Atlanta Braves leadoff man Jorge Soler takes Framber Valdez deep on the first at-bat of the World Series. What a start for the visitors!
Two batters later, Braves second baseman Ozzie Albies notched an infield hit then stole second. A double from the next man up, Austin Riley knocked him in to push the lead to 2-0.
Atlanta up 2-0 early in the first inning.
Play ball! The World Series is officially underway at Houston’s Minute Maid Park.
Framber Valdez is on the mound for the home team. The left-hander faces Jorge Soler, Freddie Freeman and Ozzie Albies at the top of visiting Atlanta Braves’ lineup.
Take a look at the starting lineups that Braves manager Brian Snitker and the Astros’ Dusty Baker are sending out tonight.
Atlanta Braves:
Houston Astros:
Major League Baseball’s next champion will soon be crowned as the Atlanta Braves take on the Houston Astros in the best-of-seven World Series starting tonight.
Who’s playing:
Schedule:
How to watch:
The Houston Astros advanced to the World Series for the third time in the last five seasons, defeating the Boston Red Sox in the American League Championship Series in six games.
Houston last was in the World Series in 2019, losing in seven games to the Washington Nationals. The Astros won the World Series in 2017 against the Dodgers.
In January 2020, Major League Baseball said that an investigation subsequently found that?the Astros had engaged in sign-stealing methods in 2017, saying the team?created a system that decoded and communicated the opposing teams’ pitching signs during their championship season. MLB opted not to strip the Astros of their World Series title.
For the first time since 1999, the Atlanta Braves are in the Fall Classic.
The Braves knocked out the defending champion Los Angeles Dodgers in Game 6 of the National League Championship Series by a score of 4-2 on Saturday.?
They will face the American League champion Houston Astros, who?defeated the Boston Red Sox?in six games and moved on to their third World Series in five years.
The Braves will be competing for their first World Series title since 1995, the only championship for the franchise while in Atlanta.
You can read the full report here.