Braving The Storm: Atlanta Captures 2021 World Series

The 2021 World Series was one to remember for fans from Atlanta. I had the defending champion Los Angeles Dodgers taking on the Boston Red Sox, but this was a fantastic matchup too. This postseason was one to remember, so let’s take a look back at all the action.

Let’s start with the Wild Card games. In the America League, the Red Sox beat their American League (AL) East rivals in the New York Yankees in the AL game, and the Dodgers took down the St. Louis Cardinals in the National League (NL) matchup. One crucial detail to note is the Wild Card games are a one-game series playoff game.

The next round is the divisional series, which is a best-of-5. On the American League side, Boston won the series 3-1 over the defending AL champion Tampa Bay Rays, while the Houston Astros defeated the Chicago White Sox 3-1. The NLDS had two exciting series, highlighted by the Dodgers inching past the San Francisco Giants in the series 3-2. On the flip side, the Atlanta Braves bounced the Milwaukee Brewers in the series 3-1.

We move on to the championship series, the first series that features the standard best-of-seven series format. The winner of these series in the AL and NL are dubbed the league champion and move on to the World Series. In the NLDS, the Braves beat the defending champs Dodgers 4-2, taking home their first NL pennant since 1999. The Astros sent the Red Sox to the golf course in the ALDS as they won the series in six (4-2). This was Houston’s third AL pennant since 2017.

That brings us to the Fall Classic: Astros vs. Braves. In game 1, the Braves took it by a final of 6-2, having a solid opening three innings in which they tallied five of their six runs. Game 2 was different, as the Astros evened the series with a 7-2 victory. Houston scored four runs in the second inning alone, with Jose Altuve racking up two hits and two runs.

Game 3 saw the series shift to the Peach State, and the home side didn’t disappoint. The Braves picked up a 2-0 win, while the Astros only managed two hits all game. Houston’s high-octane offense was a no-show in this one, as the Braves held on to grab the series lead.

Game 4 proved to be more similar for the home team, with another big win, the Braves with a 3-2 final. With this victory, Atlanta held a 3-1 in the series and only needed one more win to bring home the World Series championship.

Game 5 was a do-or-die game for the Astros, and they answered in a big way. They beat the Braves 9-5 to bring the series deficit back within one, sitting at 3-2 Atlanta. Houston’s third baseman Austin Riley had a big game, picking up three hits.

Game 6 of the Fall Classic was a blowout, as the Braves took it by a final of 7-0. Just like that, the drought was over. The Braves took the series by a final of four games to two, home their first title since 1995. Braves outfielder Jorge Soler took home the World Series MVP trophy, as the Braves took their spot at the top of the baseball world.

At the beginning of the season, I thought that teams like the San Diego Padres and Los Angeles Angels would be in the World Series, but it’s crazy how much can change throughout a season. Next year, there are going to be a lot of outstanding teams. My early prediction is I think the Tampa Bay Rays will win it all next year. With Wonder Franco breaking out this past season, I could see the Rays being the team to beat.