The Atlanta Braves Are World Series Champions!

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 Written By: Matt Ferreira

Image via twitter.com/yungjoc650


 With their 7-0 win over the Houston Astros the Atlanta Braves are the 2021 World Series Champions!



 The underdogs had a +650 odds to win the World Series at the beginning of the postseason, and were the only team in the National League playoff bracket for their odds to win the World Series to lower since the beginning of the year. The Braves barely snuck into the playoffs winning the NL East with 88 wins (the lowest win total by any playoff team this year). The miracle? The Braves were under .500 at the all-star break at 44-45. Losing stars Ronald Acuna Jr. to a torn ACL, Mike Soroka to a re-tear of his right achilles tendon, and Marcell Ozuna to legal issues, the Braves made up for lost bodies at the trade deadline, acquiring Joc Pederson, Adam Duvall, Eddie Rosario, Stephen Vogt, and Jorge Soler. 



 Despite the injuries and new faces, the Braves caught fire during the second half going 44-28. After gaining control of the NL East, the Braves were set to face the Milwaukee Brewers in the playoffs. After dropping the first game to the Brewers, the Braves won three straight low scoring games, shutting down the Brewers offense en route to the NLCS. In the NLCS, Eddie Rosario was the hero. The NLCS MVP hit .560/.607/1.040 with three home runs and nine runs batted in. Relievers Tyler Matzek and A.J. Minter combined for 12 innings pitched only giving up three hits and two runs. The Braves pitching was a key component of their upset of the Los Angeles Dodgers. 


 As the World Series matchup was set many wild stories began to show up on social media. Former MLB player, Trevor Plouffe, predicted the Atlanta Braves would beat the Houston Astros in the World Series in March. 



 Some other tweets surfaced similar to Plouffe’s, but not as specific.



 Blooper, the Braves mascot became a star on social media during the World Series, his tweets roasting Astros fans and other comical tweets turned him into a story line for the entire MLB. 



 During the World Series the Braves always seemed to have the extra edge. Starting off strong in game one with a 6-2 victory the Braves offense and pitching was clicking. While they lost game two there were positive takeaways, such as the bullpen only allowing two runs in the last seven innings of work. The Braves came out in game three and watched Ian Anderson throw five innings of no hit baseball before being pinch hit for. The bullpen continued to dominate with Minter, Jackson, Matzek, and Smith allowing two hits and no runs in the final four innings, for the first shutout of the Astros lineup since September 29. In game four the Braves had little to cheer for before Dansby Swanson hit a game tying solo shot in the seventh inning, with that momentum, Jorge Soler came up next to go back to back to give the Braves the lead, that they would not relinquish and go up three games to none in the series. Game five was the only time the Braves seemed to struggle. After a first inning grand slam to go up four to nothing, the Braves ended up losing the lead and could not get the offense going again to clinch the series. Game six was the opposite, all Braves. Jorge Soler hit a home run in the third inning that may be the farthest hit ball I have ever seen in my life, and it looked from there that the Braves were going to win.



 While no more run support was needed, Dansby Swanson and Freddie Freeman hit home runs en route to the 7-0 win. With six shutout innings from Max Fried, the Braves bullpen had a comfortable lead to give to their bullpen. The final out of the World Series was movie like as Yuli Guriell grounded out to the hometown hero in Dansby Swanson as he threw it to long time Brave Freddie Freeman. 



 After the game were some very special post game interviews from Dansby Swanson talking about how much it meant to win a championship for his home city, to Freddie Freeman being left speechless, hysterically laughing, and crying tears of joy at the same time the Braves continued to be one of the most likeable and pure teams in MLB.




 From losing their superstars, to the postseason push, the moves my made by the front office, and the clutch performances of the players when it mattered, the 2021 Atlanta Braves will be a team talked about for a long time. A classic cinderella story, the Braves will go down in history forever as World Series Champions.


 


 


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