Who doesn’t love a grand finale? The 2021 World Series began on Tuesday, Oct. 26 and ended on Tuesday, Nov. 3, and it was one of the most exciting championships of recent history. I’m here to present you with a recap in case you missed it.
Our final two teams were the Atlanta Braves from the National League and the Houston Astros from the American League. Fans of baseball knew from the start that this would be an interesting series as the Braves have been seeking a championship since the last time they won in 1995. On the other hand, the Astros ‘won’ in 2017 (recall that the Astros were convicted of cheating — through illegal electronic sign stealing — during their 2017 season).
Although the Astros had home field advantage, the Braves started out strong in game one. They scored three runs in the first inning alone, it was practically over for the Astros. However, the Braves’ starting pitcher, Charlie Morton, was taken out mid game after grimacing while throwing a pitch. Morton underwent an x-ray and they found a fractured right fibula. Even though they still won that game, the Braves would have to go on with the rest of the series without him. Had this series been taken all the way to game seven, it might have been trouble for them.
The Astros took game two, 7-2. Game three was going to be the most important yet: it would set the tone for the rest of the series.
Defense was strong on both ends, and scoring was sparse, meaning it was going to come down to the better bullpen. The Astros had Luis Garcia while the Braves went with Ian Anderson. Garcia performed respectfully, but Anderson made history. The 23-year-old New York native went five innings without giving up a single hit. According to MLB, Anderson is the first rookie with five no-hit frames in a World Series game since 1912.
Anderson was taken out by manager Brian Snitker whilst in the middle of his no-hitter, a questionable decision to some, as it is common to see a no-hitter through. However, for the World Series managers should follow their guts: and Snitker’s gut proved strong as the Braves won that game 2-0.
The Braves took game four 3-2, putting them just one win away from the title. The Astros, though, decided to keep things interesting and weren’t going down without a fight. In game five, the Astros respectfully recovered from an early 4-0 deficit to keep themselves alive. Could they do it again to bring this series all the way up to game seven?
They couldn’t. Three home runs and a sharp bullpen quieted the Astros, who faced a 7-0 loss in Houston, giving the Braves their first World Series win in 26 years.
As Atlanta celebrated the rest of the week and enjoyed the Braves’ victory parade throughout the city, fans can really only think of one thing: this team was not always a favorite to win the World Series, yet they showed up, showed discipline and determination and came out on top. We will have to wait until March 2022 to watch this team perform again, but I think it’s safe to say that next time, they won’t be underestimated.
