Related video above: Houston and Philly fans celebrate World SeriesBryce Harper hammered his sixth postseason home run, whispered an assist to Alec Bohm before his solo shot and the Philadelphia Phillies tied a World Series record with five homers to rout the Houston Astros 7-0 Tuesday night and take a 2-1 Series lead.Brandon Marsh also homered, and Kyle Schwarber and Rhys Hoskins hit back-to-back shots in the fifth inning to chase Astros starter Lance McCullers Jr. Philadelphia used the long ball to end the long wait for its first World Series home win since Game 5 of the 2009 World Series.Those Phillies couldn't finish the job.Ranger Suárez tossed a three-hit ball over five shutout innings and inched this year's team closer to getting it done.Harper, Bohm, Marsh and the rest of the Phillies on the last team to qualify for the playoffs are two wins away from ending the season as the last team standing. With a sparkling 6-0 record at Citizens Bank Park this postseason, the Phillies just may not return to Texas.Another red, raucous, resolute crowd of 45,712 let the Astros have it from the first pitch with chants of "Cheater! Cheater!" for Jose Altuve and "Check the Bat! Check the Bat!" for Martin Maldonado.The fans — already amped from the jump after another sliding catch by right fielder Nick Castellanos in the first — didn't wait long to go wild for the home run barrage.With leadoff hitter Schwarber on first base, Harper repeated his flair for playoff power when he ripped a two-run shot off McCullers into the right field seats for the fast lead. That made Harper 2 for 2 on home run swings in Philly — he sent the Phillies to the World Series with a two-run drive in Game 5 of the NL Championship Series to beat San Diego.Harper crossed the plate and again exclaimed "This is my house!" before he ripped off his helmet, exposed his Phillie Phanatic headband and was mobbed by teammates in the dugout.Harper's homers shake the stadium to the point they should be measured on the Richter scale rather in feet — and they seem as automatic these days as a Phillie Phanatic spin on his ATV. Harper has hit four postseason homers that gave the Phillies the lead and showed that, yes, Bryce Bombs do go off in November, the first time more World Series games will be played in this month than October.Oh, and Harper might have a second career as a homer whisperer.Harper beckoned Bohm from the on-deck circle and back to the dugout for a quick word of advice.Maybe Harper saw McCullers tipping his pitches?Whatever the quiet counseling was, it worked, and Bohm lined his first postseason homer and the 1,000th in World Series history into the left field seats for 3-0 lead.So c'mon, Alec, fess up, what did Bryce tell you?"That's between us," Bohm said on TV with a shrug and a big smile.Marsh took the baton on the long-ball relay and knocked one into the right field seats that was dropped by a young kid from Delaware. The home run stood after a brief review — as it seems nothing can interfere with Philadelphia's playoff push — and it was 4-0.With that, McCullers had allowed four homers to his first nine batters. The right-hander who got his left triceps inked with nods to Houston got absolutely tattooed by the Phillies.Schwarber, the NL home run champion, again dumped a two-run shot into a thicket of English ivy, Arborvitae and Holly beyond center field, and Hoskins connected on solo shot for a 7-0 lead that ended McCullers' night.McCullers became the first pitcher to give up five home runs in a World Series game.Suarez, the scheduled Game 4 starter before Game 3 was postponed a day by rain, delivered with the performance of his career and shut down the big bats in the AL champs' lineup.He needed only two pitches to get the first two outs of the game and struck out Yordan Alvarez to end the first. The few jams he got into, Suarez worked his way out, notably in the second when he whiffed Chas McCormick and left two runners stranded. He retired Altuve to end the fifth on a soft foul pop with two runners on base.Four relievers each tossed a scoreless inning to finish the five-hitter.THE CHAMPS ARE HEREPhilly sports champions Mike Schmidt, Julius Erving, Brandon Graham and Bernie Parent threw first pitches to 2008 World Series champions Ryan Howard, Cole Hamels, Jayson Werth and Shane Victorino. Country music star Tim McGraw, son of the late Phillies reliever Tug McGraw, received a huge ovation and wore his dad's No. 45 McGraw jersey. McGraw closed the 1980 World Series with a strikeout.UP NEXTThe Phillies send RHP Aaron Nola (2-1, 4.57 ERA in the postseason) to the mound against Houston RHP Christian Javier (1-0, 1.35 ERA) in Game 4. Nola was done after 4 1/3 innings in Game 1 of the World Series, though he retired the final six batters he faced and left in a tie game after the Phillies rallied from an early 5-0 deficit — and won 6-5.

File video above: Houston and Philly fans celebrate World SeriesYordan Alvarez hit a towering go-ahead homer and the Houston Astros clinched their second World Series title in six seasons and got Dusty Baker his first crown as a manager with a 4-1 win over the Philadelphia Phillies in Game 6 on Saturday night.As Alvarez's 450-foot blast in the sixth inning disappeared, Astros starter Framber Valdez jumped and wildly screamed in the dugout as fans in the crowd of 42,948 went into a frenzy waving their orange rally towels.Baker finally got his first title in his 25th season as a manager, the past three since being hired by the Astros to help the team regain credibility after the sign-stealing scandal that cost manager A.J. Hinch and general manager Jeff Luhnow their jobs, and made Houston the most reviled team in baseball.The 73-year-old Baker, who had been to the World Series twice before as a skipper, is the oldest championship manager.Houston's coaching and training staffs circled around Baker after Nick Castellanos flied out to end it, jumping up and down, and chanting “Dusty! Dusty! Dusty!” in the dugout before they joined the players on the field.Alvarez’s homer cleared the batter’s eye in straightaway center, the backdrop that extends 40 feet above the field, and made it 3-1. It was the first time the Cuban slugger connected since the first two games this postseason.Christian Vázquez added an RBI single later in the inning to make it 4-1.Valdez earned his second win of this Series. He had been in the dugout only a few minutes after throwing his 93rd and final pitch while striking out nine over six innings.But the lefty had walked off the mound with the wild-card Phillies up 1-0 on Kyle Schwarber’s solo homer leading off the sixth.Schwarber, who hit his third homer in the past four games, rounded the bases waving his raised empty hand in the same motion as the fans with their towels.But by the time Schwarber batted in the eighth, the NL's home run leader was reduced to bunting, trying for a hit to stir a dormant Phillies offense. His bunt went foul with two strikes, resulting in a strikeout.In the sixth, Houston got two runners on base against starter Zack Wheeler for the first time in the game, with Jose Altuve reaching on a forceout after a hit batter and rookie Jeremy Peña singling.Phillies manager Rob Thomson went to left-handed reliver Jose Alvarado to face the lefty slugger for the fourth time in the series — Alvarez had popped out twice and been hit by a pitch the first three times.And Alvarado had allowed only three homers to left hitters in his six big league seasons, until his 2-1 pitch, when Alvarez crushed the 99 mph sinker.Alvarez hadn’t homered since Game 2 of the AL Division Series against Seattle, when his two-run shot in the sixth inning put them up to stay. That came after his game-ending, three-run shot in Game 1 for an 8-7 win.Houston won an American League-best 106 games and reached its fourth World Series during a span in which it made it to the AL Championship Series six seasons in a row. The Astros made their only other World Series appearance in 2005, while still in the National League, and were swept in four games by the Chicago White Sox.This was their third ALCS and second consecutive World Series since former Astros pitcher Mike Fiers revealed after the 2019 season, when he had gone from Houston for two years since being part of their 2017 championship, that the team had used a camera in center field to steal signs and signal hitters on which pitches to expect by banging on a garbage can.Philadelphia was 22-29 when Joe Girardi was fired in early June and replaced by bench coach Thomson, the 59-year-old baseball lifer getting his first chance a big league manager — he was on the Yankees big league staff for 10 seasons with Girardi, and was part of their last World Series and title in 2009.The Phillies finished the regular season 65-46 under Thomson, their 87 wins good for the sixth and final spot in the NL playoffs, on way to their first World Series since 2009.

File video above: Houston and Philly fans celebrate World Series

Yordan Alvarez hit a towering go-ahead homer and the Houston Astros clinched their second World Series title in six seasons and got Dusty Baker his first crown as a manager with a 4-1 win over the Philadelphia Phillies in Game 6 on Saturday night.

As Alvarez's 450-foot blast in the sixth inning disappeared, Astros starter Framber Valdez jumped and wildly screamed in the dugout as fans in the crowd of 42,948 went into a frenzy waving their orange rally towels.

Baker finally got his first title in his 25th season as a manager, the past three since being hired by the Astros to help the team regain credibility after the sign-stealing scandal that cost manager A.J. Hinch and general manager Jeff Luhnow their jobs, and made Houston the most reviled team in baseball.

The 73-year-old Baker, who had been to the World Series twice before as a skipper, is the oldest championship manager.

Houston's coaching and training staffs circled around Baker after Nick Castellanos flied out to end it, jumping up and down, and chanting “Dusty! Dusty! Dusty!” in the dugout before they joined the players on the field.

Eric Smith

Alvarez’s homer cleared the batter’s eye in straightaway center, the backdrop that extends 40 feet above the field, and made it 3-1. It was the first time the Cuban slugger connected since the first two games this postseason.

Christian Vázquez added an RBI single later in the inning to make it 4-1.

Valdez earned his second win of this Series. He had been in the dugout only a few minutes after throwing his 93rd and final pitch while striking out nine over six innings.

But the lefty had walked off the mound with the wild-card Phillies up 1-0 on Kyle Schwarber’s solo homer leading off the sixth.

Schwarber, who hit his third homer in the past four games, rounded the bases waving his raised empty hand in the same motion as the fans with their towels.

But by the time Schwarber batted in the eighth, the NL's home run leader was reduced to bunting, trying for a hit to stir a dormant Phillies offense. His bunt went foul with two strikes, resulting in a strikeout.

David J. Phillip

In the sixth, Houston got two runners on base against starter Zack Wheeler for the first time in the game, with Jose Altuve reaching on a forceout after a hit batter and rookie Jeremy Peña singling.

Phillies manager Rob Thomson went to left-handed reliver Jose Alvarado to face the lefty slugger for the fourth time in the series — Alvarez had popped out twice and been hit by a pitch the first three times.

And Alvarado had allowed only three homers to left hitters in his six big league seasons, until his 2-1 pitch, when Alvarez crushed the 99 mph sinker.

Alvarez hadn’t homered since Game 2 of the AL Division Series against Seattle, when his two-run shot in the sixth inning put them up to stay. That came after his game-ending, three-run shot in Game 1 for an 8-7 win.

David J. Phillip

Houston won an American League-best 106 games and reached its fourth World Series during a span in which it made it to the AL Championship Series six seasons in a row. The Astros made their only other World Series appearance in 2005, while still in the National League, and were swept in four games by the Chicago White Sox.

This was their third ALCS and second consecutive World Series since former Astros pitcher Mike Fiers revealed after the 2019 season, when he had gone from Houston for two years since being part of their 2017 championship, that the team had used a camera in center field to steal signs and signal hitters on which pitches to expect by banging on a garbage can.

Philadelphia was 22-29 when Joe Girardi was fired in early June and replaced by bench coach Thomson, the 59-year-old baseball lifer getting his first chance a big league manager — he was on the Yankees big league staff for 10 seasons with Girardi, and was part of their last World Series and title in 2009.

The Phillies finished the regular season 65-46 under Thomson, their 87 wins good for the sixth and final spot in the NL playoffs, on way to their first World Series since 2009.

Most of the season, it just seemed this wasn’t their year.They dropped their first four games, and soon injuries piled up. They lost their most dynamic player before the All-Star break. They were stuck below .500 in August.Yet out of nowhere, suddenly, these Atlanta Braves transformed themselves and took off.Jorge Soler, Freddie Freeman and the Braves breezed to their first World Series championship since 1995, hammering the Houston Astros 7-0 Tuesday night in Game 6.How proud The Hammer himself would’ve been.Max Fried threw six shutout innings in the signature pitching performance of the Series. Soler, a July acquisition who tested positive for COVID-19 in the playoffs, backed him early with a monster three-run shot for his third homer against the Astros.Freeman hit an RBI double and then punctuated the romp with a solo home run in the seventh that made it 7-0.By then, it was a total team effort. Ailing star Ronald Acuña Jr., the dynamo of Atlanta’s future, bounded from the dugout to join the celebration for Freeman, the longtime face of the franchise.A mere afterthought in the summer heat among the land of the Giants, White Sox and Dodgers, but magnificent in the Fall Classic.Soler tapped his heart twice before beginning his home run trot after connecting off rookie Luis Garcia in the third inning, sending the ball flying completely out of Minute Maid Park. Dansby Swanson also homered and by the final out, nothing could stop them.Not a broken leg sustained by starter Charlie Morton in the World Series opener. Not a big blown lead in Game 5.Steadied by 66-year-old manager Brian Snitker, an organization man for four decades, the underdog Braves won the franchise’s fourth title.Consider it a tribute to the greatest Braves player of them all, Mr. Hank Aaron. The Hall of Fame slugger died Jan. 22 at 86, still rooting for his old team, and his legacy was stamped all over this Series.For 72-year-old Houston manager Dusty Baker, a disappointment. But for many fans still rooting against the Astros in the wake of their 2017 sign-stealing scandal, some satisfaction.Major credit for the Braves, too, goes to general manager Alex Anthopoulos. Undaunted by Acuña's knee injury, he pulled off a flurry of July trades that brought the Fab Four to the outfield — NL Championship Series MVP Eddie Rosario, Adam Duvall, Joc Pederson and Soler.But even in the Analytics Era, guided by a GM fully versed in new-age ways, the path these Braves took wouldn’t add up in any computer. Especially with how things looked in midseason."At that time, we were searching," third baseman Austin Riley said before Game 6. "I think there’s no question about that."Minus Acuña, Atlanta wasn’t over .500 for a single day until the first week in August. The Braves finished 88-73 for the 12th-best record in the majors and fewest victories among playoff teams; their win total was the lowest for a World Series champion since St. Louis’ 83 in 2006.Plus, the agonizing history of sports in Atlanta, a city where no team had won a title in the four major pro sports besides 1995.The Braves couldn’t convert a three games-to-one advantage over the Dodgers in the NL Championship Series last year. The Hawks fell short in the NBA Finals last season. And then there was the big one, the Falcons blowing a 28-3 lead to the Patriots in the Super Bowl.But these Braves, not this time.Favored in spring training to win their fourth straight NL East title, the Braves lost Acuña to a torn knee in July. Earlier, 2020 Triple Crown contender Marcell Ozuna was injured and later placed on leave while Major League Baseball investigated him under its domestic violence policy. Projected ace Mike Soroka never got back from Achilles injury.Going into the playoffs, their bullpen was a crazy patchwork.They had a guy who made his big league debut in October, a lefty who was pitching in 2019 for the Texas AirHogs in a now-defunct independent league and a righty who was stacking boxes at an appliance warehouse a decade ago. Toss in a rookie who was off the roster a week ago as he watched Game 1 at a hotel in suburban Atlanta.For sure, plenty of fans around the country were rooting hard against Jose Altuve and the Houston crew. Many continue to heckle them as the "Cheatin’ Astros" for an illegal sign-stealing scheme on the way to their 2017 title, and those feelings might last forever.Certainly a lot of people were cheering for Baker. A World Series winner as a player and a highly respected figure on and off the field, he wasn’t able to check the final box on his resume as a championship skipper.The Braves' crowns have been spread out over more than a century.The 1995 Atlanta champs featured five future Hall of Famers — rookie Chipper Jones, aces Tom Glavine, Greg Maddux and John Smoltz, and manager Bobby Cox. Those rings were the lone pieces of hardware that resulted from 14 straight division titles.The 1957 Milwaukee Braves were led by Aaron in his only NL MVP season. His 44 was painted in large numbers on the outfield grass at Truist Park, and Baker and Snitker often mentioned how much he’d meant to them.There were the 1914 Boston Braves, too, dubbed the "Miracle Braves" back in the day. In last place on the Fourth of July, they surged to win the pennant, then upset a heavily favored team — the Philadelphia A’s — to earn their nickname.Sound familiar?The Braves’ previous title came at Atlanta-Fulton County Stadium, their first home after moving from Milwaukee to the Deep South in 1966. Then there was Turner Field before the team uprooted from downtown and decided to sprawl into the suburbs.Truist Park was packed and the outside plazas were jammed over the weekend, and pulsating crowds filled Minute Maid Park.Quite a change from last October. Only a limited capacity was permitted for that World Series as the Dodgers beat Tampa Bay at a neutral-site stadium in Arlington, Texas — that followed a total shutout for fans during a regular season shortened because of the coronavirus.Now, all of baseball waits to see whether spring training is on deck in a little over three months. A squabble between owners and players threatens soon to shut down the sport.In the meantime, the sport can savor a year in which things, slowly, started to get back to normal.

Rookie Ian Anderson and the Braves bullpen took a no-hit bid into the eighth inning, Austin Riley and Travis d’Arnaud drove in runs and Atlanta beat the Houston Astros 2-0 Friday night to take a 2-1 lead in the World Series.Anderson and four relievers combined on a two-hitter.Pinch-hitter Aledmys Díaz blooped a single leading off the eighth inning against reliever Tyler Matzek that dropped in front of left fielder Eddie Rosario, just 232 feet from home plate, for Houston's first hit. Alex Bregman grounded a single through the wide-open side of a shifted infield against closer Will Smith leading off the ninth.Riley's RBI double in the third off Astros starter Luis Garcia put Atlanta ahead, and d’Arnaud hit a 437-foot homer off Kendall Graveman's fastball in the eighth, d’Arnaud’s second home run of this World Series and first long ball at home this season.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.Rosario walked leading off a 43-pitch half-inning in the third. Freddie Freeman singled and Garcia left an 0-1 cutter over the plate that Riley lined between Bregman and the third-bag, and down the left-field line for an RBI double.Jorge Soler walked, but Garcia stranded the bases loaded when Adam Duvall fouled to first and d’Arnaud struck out.The Braves, who stranded nine runners, improved to 6-0 this postseason at Truist Park, which opened in 2017 and where they have won 11 of their last 12 games. The Atlanta stopped a five-game home World Series losing streak.Houston, the top-hitting team in the majors during the season with a .267 average, was limited to two hits, three walks and two hit batters.Anderson, a 23-year-old right-hander, pitched through spotty control, striking out four and walking three. A.J. Minter and Luke Jackson followed with an inning each.Díaz’s hit ended the longest no-hit bid in the Series since Game 2 in 1967. Boston ace Jim Lonborg pitched a one-hitter and allowed a two-out double in the eighth to St. Louis’ Julian Javier.Pinch-runner Jose Siri stole second with two outs in the eighth and went to third when d’Arnaud’s throw skipped into center field for an error, but Siri was stranded when Michael Brantley popped out.While the Astros’ Dusty Baker (72) and the Braves’ Brian Snitker (66) had the highest combined ages of World Series managers, they lifted their starting pitchers on the timetable triggered by modern metrics — after exactly 18 batters each, not wanting leadoff hitters to face the same pitcher for the third time.In the Series for the first time since 1999, the Braves won in the Series at home for the time since the sixth and final game of the 1995 World Series against Cleveland.Anderson had the second-longest no-hit bid by a rookie starter in World Series history behind New York’s Jeff Tesreau in the 1912 opener, broken up when Boston’s Tris Speaker tripled with one out in the sixth.Anderson walked three, struck out four and hit a batter, throwing just 39 of 76 pitches for strikes.Garcia gave up three hits in 3 2/3 innings with six strikeouts and four walks, throwing just 72 pitches and coming out after getting the first two outs of the fourth with just two pitchesThis was just the eighth matchup of rookie starters in the Series, the first since Detroit’s Justin Verlander and St. Louis’ Anthony Reyes in the 2006 opener. None of the Braves had faced Garcia coming in, and Marwin Gonzalez was the only one to have batted against the Braves’ Ian Anderson (0 for 3).Daylong rain stopped about an hour before the game, which started with a 49-degree temperature on a damp night. The Braves became the first team to host the Series in six ballparks after Boston’s Fenway Park (1914) and Braves Field (1948), Milwaukee’s County Stadium (1957, ’58), Atlanta Fulton-County Stadium (1991, ’92, 95, ‘96) and Turner Field (1999).HAMMERIN’ HANKMajor League Baseball held a pregame tribute to Hank Aaron, the former Braves star and executive who died in January. Hank Aaron Jr. threw the ceremonial first pitch, accompanied by mother Billye Aaron and siblings Gaile and Dorinda.FAMILY AFFAIRBaker had hitting coach Troy Snitker go to the plate to exchange lineup cards with his dad, Braves manager Brian Snitker.UP NEXTZack Greinke was expected to pitch Game 4 for Houston, while the Braves go with the first of consecutive bullpen games in response to losing Game 1 starter Charlie Morton to a broken leg.

A healthy swing by Jorge Soler powered the Atlanta Braves to a smashing start in the World Series.Making his first start since testing positive for COVID-19, Soler became the first player to begin a World Series with a home run and the Braves, despite the loss of pitcher Charlie Morton to a broken leg, hushed the Houston Astros 6-2 Tuesday night in Game 1.Boosted by a strong bullpen effort, a two-run homer by Adam Duvall and a late sacrifice fly from Freddie Freeman, the Braves coasted in their first Series appearance since Chipper Jones and their Big Three aces ascended in 1999.Jose Altuve, Carlos Correa and the Astros mostly looked lost at the plate. This is their third World Series in five seasons — and first since their illegal sign-stealing scheme was revealed.Before the game, Major League Baseball Commissioner Rob Manfred said there were plenty of sleuths monitoring the dugouts, clubhouse and stands to guard against any possible shenanigans."There's a lot more people watching what goes on as a result of the issues that we've had," he said.Soler's no-doubt jolt into the left-field seats on Framber Valdez's third pitch quickly took all the juice out of Minute Maid Park, quieting a boisterous, sellout crowd.Fresh off dispatching the defending World Series champion Dodgers in the playoffs, the Braves weren't done, either. Aggressive in every way, they kept teeing off against their former, longtime National League rivals.Moments later, Ozzie Albies stole a base and Austin Riley hit an RBI double, taking a rare swing at a 3-0 pitch.Soler added an RBI grounder in the second and when Duvall launched a two-run homer, it was 5-0 and the Braves had made even more October history — the only team to score in each of the first three innings in a World Series opener.At that point, Braves batters were far from the only ones making noise. The few Atlanta fans sprinkled in the sea of orange had started their familiar chant, too.By then, it looked as if everything was going right for the Braves.But baseball can be a fickle game, and the fates can spin faster than the best curveball.Because in the bottom the third, Atlanta absorbed its own big hit.As he struck out Altuve, Morton suddenly grimaced and took an awkward step. His teammates, manager Brian Snitker and a trainer soon joined him on the mound, and just like that, Morton was gone.Turned out a hard comebacker by Yuli Gurriel that ricocheted off Morton's leg to Freeman at first base for an out to begin the second had done more damage than anyone realized.Morton stayed in for another inning, amazingly, before gingerly walking off with a fractured right fibula. The 37-year-old righty, the winning pitcher for the Astros in Game 7 of the 2017 World Series, will be replaced on the roster. He's expected to be OK for spring training.A.J. Minter replaced Morton and got the win, permitting one run in 2 2/3 innings. Atlanta relievers Tyler Matzek, Luke Jackson and Will Smith finished it.Game 2 is Wednesday night, with Braves lefty Max Fried starting against Astros right-hander José Urquidy.Altuve and the Astros did little all night. The All-Star second baseman struck out three times — he'd never done that in 73 prior postseason games.Alex Bregman, Yordan Alvarez and the Astros never seriously threatened in the later innings. Their only runs, in fact, came on shortstop Dansby Swanson's fielding error in the fourth and Correa's groundout in the eighth.In fact, the game wasn't nearly as close as the score indicated. It was more like a romp — during the seventh-inning stretch, as fans did a sing-a-long to "Deep In The Heart of Texas," Braves backup catcher William Contreras locked arms with starter Travis d'Arnaud and did a little Texas two-step as they switched places warming up Jackson.

HOUSTON —

A healthy swing by Jorge Soler powered the Atlanta Braves to a smashing start in the World Series.

Making his first start since testing positive for COVID-19, Soler became the first player to begin a World Series with a home run and the Braves, despite the loss of pitcher Charlie Morton to a broken leg, hushed the Houston Astros 6-2 Tuesday night in Game 1.

Boosted by a strong bullpen effort, a two-run homer by Adam Duvall and a late sacrifice fly from Freddie Freeman, the Braves coasted in their first Series appearance since Chipper Jones and their Big Three aces ascended in 1999.

Jose Altuve, Carlos Correa and the Astros mostly looked lost at the plate. This is their third World Series in five seasons — and first since their illegal sign-stealing scheme was revealed.

Before the game, Major League Baseball Commissioner Rob Manfred said there were plenty of sleuths monitoring the dugouts, clubhouse and stands to guard against any possible shenanigans.

"There's a lot more people watching what goes on as a result of the issues that we've had," he said.

Soler's no-doubt jolt into the left-field seats on Framber Valdez's third pitch quickly took all the juice out of Minute Maid Park, quieting a boisterous, sellout crowd.

Fresh off dispatching the defending World Series champion Dodgers in the playoffs, the Braves weren't done, either. Aggressive in every way, they kept teeing off against their former, longtime National League rivals.

Moments later, Ozzie Albies stole a base and Austin Riley hit an RBI double, taking a rare swing at a 3-0 pitch.

Ashley Landis / AP Photo

Soler added an RBI grounder in the second and when Duvall launched a two-run homer, it was 5-0 and the Braves had made even more October history — the only team to score in each of the first three innings in a World Series opener.

At that point, Braves batters were far from the only ones making noise. The few Atlanta fans sprinkled in the sea of orange had started their familiar chant, too.

By then, it looked as if everything was going right for the Braves.

But baseball can be a fickle game, and the fates can spin faster than the best curveball.

Because in the bottom the third, Atlanta absorbed its own big hit.

As he struck out Altuve, Morton suddenly grimaced and took an awkward step. His teammates, manager Brian Snitker and a trainer soon joined him on the mound, and just like that, Morton was gone.

Turned out a hard comebacker by Yuli Gurriel that ricocheted off Morton's leg to Freeman at first base for an out to begin the second had done more damage than anyone realized.

Morton stayed in for another inning, amazingly, before gingerly walking off with a fractured right fibula. The 37-year-old righty, the winning pitcher for the Astros in Game 7 of the 2017 World Series, will be replaced on the roster. He's expected to be OK for spring training.

A.J. Minter replaced Morton and got the win, permitting one run in 2 2/3 innings. Atlanta relievers Tyler Matzek, Luke Jackson and Will Smith finished it.

Game 2 is Wednesday night, with Braves lefty Max Fried starting against Astros right-hander José Urquidy.

Altuve and the Astros did little all night. The All-Star second baseman struck out three times — he'd never done that in 73 prior postseason games.

Alex Bregman, Yordan Alvarez and the Astros never seriously threatened in the later innings. Their only runs, in fact, came on shortstop Dansby Swanson's fielding error in the fourth and Correa's groundout in the eighth.

In fact, the game wasn't nearly as close as the score indicated. It was more like a romp — during the seventh-inning stretch, as fans did a sing-a-long to "Deep In The Heart of Texas," Braves backup catcher William Contreras locked arms with starter Travis d'Arnaud and did a little Texas two-step as they switched places warming up Jackson.

Eddie Rosario capped a remarkable NL Championship Series with a three-run homer, sending the Atlanta Braves to the World Series for the first time since 1999 with a 4-2 victory over the defending champion Los Angeles Dodgers on Saturday night.The Braves won the best-of-seven series four games to two, exorcising the demons of last year's NLCS — when Atlanta squandered 2-0 and 3-1 leads against the Dodgers — and advancing to face the AL champion Astros.Game 1 is Tuesday night at Minute Maid Park in Houston.The Braves will be going for their first Series title since 1995, when they beat Cleveland with a team that included Hall of Famers Greg Maddux, Tom Glavine, Jon Smoltz and Chipper Jones — a no-nonsense group that became better known for numerous postseason flops during a momentous run of 14 straight division titles.This flashy team is led by a far more unlikely hero.Rosario, acquired in a flush of deals just before the July 30 trade deadline that rebuilt the Braves' depleted outfield, set an Atlanta franchise record and became only the fifth player in baseball history to record 14 hits in a postseason series.Will Smith worked a 1-2-3 ninth for his fourth save of the postseason after a brilliant relief stint by winner Tyler Matzek, who escaped a huge jam in the seventh by striking out the side. The left-hander has 11 strikeouts with runners in scoring position in the seventh inning or later this postseason.Spurred on by chants of “Eddie! Eddie! Eddie” from the raucous sellout crowd of more than 43,000, Rosario finished 14 of 25 (.560) against the Dodgers, with three homers and nine RBIs.His final hit was certainly the biggest of the 30-year-old Puerto Rican's career.With the score tied at 1 in the bottom of the fourth, Rosario came up after pinch-hitter Ehire Adrianza extended the inning with a two-out double into the right-field corner. Slow-running catcher Travis d'Arnaud was held at third by coach Ron Washington, surely aware of who was up next.Rosario got into an extended duel with Walker Buehler, who stepped up to start on three days' rest after ace Max Scherzer wasn't able to go because of a tired arm.Rosario swung and missed the first two pitches. Then he fouled one off. Then he took a ball. Then he fouled off two more pitches.Finally, he got one he liked from the Dodgers' 16-game winner — a cutter that Rosario turned into a 105 mph rocket down the right-field line, higher and higher, straight as an arrow until it landed well back into the seats below the Chop House restaurant.Rosario knew it was gone, dancing down the line after delivering a 361-foot finishing shot to a highly paid team that won 106 games during the regular season — 18 more than the NL East-winning Braves — but came up short in its bid to become baseball's first repeat champion since the 2000 New York Yankees won their third straight title.The Braves will be looking to bury their city's reputation for playoff misery. From four World Series losses in the 1990s to the NFL Falcons blowing a 28-3 lead in the 2017 Super Bowl, Atlanta again finds itself on cusp of an extremely rare feat.A championship.Those ‘95 Braves remain the city's lone team in the four major sports — baseball, football, basketball and hockey — to capture a title. Freddie Freeman said after a Game 5 loss that the city's history would remain an issue “until we kill that narrative.”They're four wins from doing just that.After starter Ian Anderson allowed Cody Bellinger's run-scoring single in the fourth on his next-to-last hitter of the night, the well-rested Atlanta bullpen took over.A.J. Minter struck out four in two innings of work. Luke Jackson failed to get an out in the seventh, giving up AJ Pollock's run-scoring double, but Matzek stranded runners at second and third with three straight strikeouts — the last of them by Mookie Betts on three pitches.Matzek returned to the mound for a 1-2-3 eighth before handing off to Smith.The Braves jumped ahead with back-to-back, two-out doubles off Buehler in the first — the second of them by Austin Riley, whose shot down the left-field line one-hopped into the Dodgers bullpen.With their pitching staff in disarray, the Dodgers scuttled plans to start Scherzer. The right-hander had complained of a dead arm after Game 2, and he was still struggling to bounce back after a workout Friday.Buehler, who had been projected to go in Game 7 if the series went that far, was bumped up to start for Scherzer on just three days' rest.Scherzer, the Dodgers insisted, would be ready to go Sunday night.Now, he's got all winter to rest up.TRAINER'S ROOMThe Dodgers brought an extra pitcher to Atlanta after LHP Justin Bruihl felt something in his arm while warming up for Game 5. But Bruihl remained on the roster after assuring manager Dave Roberts he felt good enough to take an inning in Game 6. As it turned out, he wasn't needed.UP NEXTDodgers: After a steak of seven straight victories in elimination games was snapped, they won't play another game that counts until the 2022 season opener against the Colorado Rockies. That comes on March 31 at Dodger Stadium.Braves: Charlie Morton is set to go against his former team in the opener of the World Series. He memorably came out of the bullpen in Game 7 of the 2017 Series to pitch four innings of two-hit ball, closing out the lone title in Astros history with a 5-1 win over the Dodgers.

Source link

Eddie Rosario homered twice in his second four-hit game of the series and six pitchers combined on a four-hitter, giving the Atlanta Braves a 9-2 victory Wednesday night over the Los Angeles Dodgers and a commanding 3-1 lead in the NL Championship Series.Game 5 is Thursday at Dodger Stadium, with the Braves one win from their first pennant in 22 years and the defending World Series champions facing elimination. Last year, the Dodgers trailed 0-2 and 1-3 against the Braves in the NLCS before roaring back to win three straight games and claim the pennant at a neutral site in Arlington, Texas.They'll need to jump-start their offense to have a shot. Their first five hitters — Mookie Betts, Corey Seager, NL batting champion Trea Turner, Will Smith and Gavin Lux — were a combined 0 for 17.Rosario became the first player to have two four-hit games in a League Championship Series. He drove in four runs while continuing his torrid postseason hitting, finishing a double short of the cycle. He homered in the second, tripled in the third, singled in the fifth and clocked a three-run homer in the ninth. The left fielder has hit in every game of this postseason, collecting 14 hits so far. He has struck out once.The Braves' four homers tied a postseason franchise record.Each of the series' first three games was decided by one run in the last two innings.But when it got late, the Dodgers couldn't generate any comeback magic this time. Atlanta opener Jesse Chavez combined with Drew Smyly, Chris Martin, A.J. Minter and Tyler Matzek and Will Smith to hold down the Dodgers' offense. Los Angeles didn't get a hit until the fifth and was limited to one the rest of the way.The Braves wasted no time in jumping all over 20-game winner Julio Urías, who gave up three homers in just 2 2/3 innings. It was the second time he gave up that many in his career; the first time was in his second major league game in 2016.Rosario drove an 0-2 pitch into the left-field pavilion leading off the second and Adam Duvall followed with a shot to center, the first time the Braves homered back-to-back in the postseason since Oct. 3, 2002, against San Francisco in Game 2 of the NL Division Series.Freddie Freeman went deep leading off the third. Two outs later, Rosario tripled to deep right on a two-strike pitch, sliding headfirst into the bag. Duvall was intentionally walked and Joc Pederson singled to center, scoring Rosario for a 4-0 lead. The Dodgers closed to 5-2 in the fifth on pinch-hitter AJ Pollock's two-out, two-run single. Justin Turner singled for their first hit of the game and Cody Bellinger followed with a single and stolen base. Freeman's RBI double in the ninth made it 6-2 before Rosario went deep.Urías didn't record a strikeout until the fourth, when Dansby Swanson and Freeman went down swinging back-to-back to end the left-hander's first clean inning. Urías gave up five runs and eight hits in five innings. He struck out three and walked three.Urías started on two days' rest, having thrown an inning of relief in Game 2 at Atlanta. He gave up two runs on three hits, including a tying double to Austin Riley.Duvall robbed Lux of a home run with a leaping catch at the wall in center in the second. Duvall went to the warning track in the seventh to catch a ball hit by Bellinger, who hit a tying, three-run homer in the Dodgers' eighth-inning rally that helped win Game 3 on Tuesday.

And from last season on FSO:
Sunday April 5th, 12:00pm ET: 6-5 win from July 22nd (Brewers).
Monday April 6th, 12:00pm ET: 10-1 win from August 10th (Cubs).
Monday April 6th, 8:00pm ET: 6-5 win from May 15th (Cubs).
Tuesday April 7th, 12:00pm ET: 4-2 win from May 16th (Cubs).
Tuesday April 7th, 8:pm ET: 6-5 win from May 24th (Cubs).
Wednesday April 8th, 12:00pm ET: 10-2 win from May 26th (Cubs).

Box -

All rights to the copyright holders. This page is in no way affiliated with any of the following Reds related links:

Cincinnati Reds Tickets -
Cincinnati Reds Hall of Fame -
Cincinnati Reds MLB.com -
Cincinnati Reds Twitter -
Cincinnati Enquirer -
Cincinnati Enquirer (Sports) -
Dayton Daily News -
Hal McCoy -
Hal McCoy (Twitter) -
John Fay -
Mark Sheldon -
Jamie Ramsey -
Jim Day -
Jeff Brantley -
Chris Welsh -
C. Trent Rosecrans -
Lance McAlister -
Mo Egger -
Ken Broo -
Paul Daugherty -
Bob Hertzel -
Redleg Nation -

#1975WorldSeries
#TonyPerez
#DonGullett
#CincinnatiReds
#BostonRedSox

source

Dario Marianelli - Briony
Magnificent Seven Theme
A Boat to Argentina
Clint Mansell and Kronos Quartet - Summer Party

Full 1990 Playlist -

All rights to the copyright holders. This page is in no way affiliated with any of the following Reds related links:

Latest Official Reds Youtube Videos -

Cincinnati Reds Tickets -
Cincinnati Reds Hall of Fame -
Cincinnati Reds MLB.com -
Cincinnati Reds Twitter -
Cincinnati Enquirer -
Cincinnati Enquirer (Sports) -
Dayton Daily News -
Hal McCoy -
Hal McCoy (Twitter) -
John Fay -
Mark Sheldon -
Jamie Ramsey -
Jim Day -
Jeff Brantley -
Chris Welsh -
C. Trent Rosecrans -
Lance McAlister -
Mo Egger -
Ken Broo -
Paul Daugherty -
Bob Hertzel -
Redleg Nation -

#Reds
#Pirates

source