ATLANTA, Ga. — The Braves are returning to the World Series for the first time since 1999.
Eddie Rosario extended his incredible postseason with a three-run homer barely inside the foul pole in the fourth inning, breaking a 1-1 tie and leading the Atlanta Braves to a 4-2 victory over the Los Angeles Dodgers on Saturday. The Braves defeated the Dodgers in a six-game National League Championship Series one season after losing to them in a seven-game series.
In the seventh inning, the Dodgers had the tying runs on base with no one out, but lefty reliever Tyler Matzek came on and struck out three straight batters to electrify a raucous Truist Park crowd. Mookie Betts, the former MVP, was the last of the three.
He isn't finished, according to Rosario.
"It's a very amazing time, not just in my work, but in my life," Rosario remarked, "but I want more." "My ultimate goal is to win the World Series."
The Dodgers' title defense comes to an end with this loss, since they won the World Series following a pandemic-shortened season last year. Los Angeles, who won 106 games during the regular season and defeated the 107-win San Francisco Giants in the NL Division Series, came to a sudden end.
Instead, it is the 88-win Braves who take the NL pennant in the course of a season in which they did now not climb over the .500 mark until Aug. 6. According to the Elias Sports Bureau, that is the ultra-modern first-day-over-.500 date ever for a crew that reached the World Series. The preceding file was once Aug. 3, held by using every other model of the franchise -- the 1914 Boston Braves, acknowledged to records as the "Miracle Braves."
While the 2021 Braves regarded like a lengthy shot to give up their pennant drought when the postseason began, nothing about the way Atlanta dismantled the Milwaukee Brewers at some stage in the NLDS and the Dodgers in the course of the NLCS regarded miraculous.
"There used to be a large upside to our membership the remaining two months," Braves typical manager Alex Anthopoulos stated after the game. "And if you are into matters like run differential, the Giants, L.A. and us have been proper there in the pinnacle three. We felt that we had the Genius to do it."
The pennant is the modern step for a franchise that started a lengthy rebuild in the course of the center phase of the previous decade and reemerged as a contender in 2018. This season marked the Braves' fourth straight playoff appearance. Saturday's win snapped a string of 12 straight postseasons for the franchise except a World Series appearance, tied with the Oakland Athletics for the longest streak of that kind.
Braves starter Ian Anderson held the Dodgers to one run over 4 innings earlier than giving way to a pinch hitter at some point of Atlanta's fourth-inning rally. A.J. Minter got here on after Anderson and set down all six batters he faced, hanging out 4 in a dominating performance.
The twin dominance of Minter and Matzek, a pair of lefty relievers from Texas, preceded a best ninth by using nearer Will Smith and persevered a sturdy playoff run for the Atlanta bullpen. Opponents are now 0-for-15, such as eleven strikeouts, with runners in scoring function in opposition to Matzek at some point of the playoffs.
"What Minter and Matzek did these days used to be simply phenomenal," Braves supervisor Brian Snitker said. "And Matzek's been doing it the complete series. I would like to reduce that MVP aspect up and provide him a little piece of it, due to the fact that man used to be simply marvelous the entire series."
With the win, Braves franchise stalwart Freddie Freeman earns his first day trip to the Fall Classic. Drafted via the Braves in the 2nd spherical of the 2007 draft, Freeman used to be the one participant the Braves saved when they methodically dismantled their ultimate contending club, signing him to an eight-year extension in 2014.
Freeman starred for a range of dropping groups for the duration of the early years of that contract, however now with the pact due to expire after this season, he additionally has skilled the team's entire turnaround.
"I suppose this may be the definition of pure joy," Freeman said. "It definitely is. I sincerely don't, it hasn't hit me at all. I do not absolutely be aware of how to feel."
The win was once additionally the cherry on the pinnacle of the lengthy profession of Snitker, a Braves lifer who has been with the agency considering that 1977. Snitker, who grew to become sixty six for the duration of the series, performed for the franchise in the minors then labored as a roving trainer after being employed to continue to be with the business enterprise by using Hall of Famer Hank Aaron. He managed in the minors for years earlier than teaching in the majors.
Now Snitker is at the pinnacle of his occupation with the only enterprise he has known.
"I simply variety of sat in my chair and them guys swamped me," Snitker said. "I was once simply hoping I should maintain it collectively due to the fact a lot comes at you. After all the years and the whole thing you go thru and now to be capable to trip this, it is virtually some thing truely cool."
For the Dodgers, the loss kicks off what may want to be an offseason of change, with numerous of their megastar gamers headed for free agency. The listing consists of Max Scherzer, Albert Pujols, Corey Seager, Kenley Jansen, Chris Taylor and longtime ace Clayton Kershaw.
With the Dodgers' repeat bid ending, baseball will go barring a back-to-back champion as soon as again. No one has repeated as champions due to the fact the New York Yankees' three-year streak from 1998 to 2000. It's baseball's longest-ever stretch barring a repeat champ.
"It's still not lost on any of us that we did not negotiate our thing,"Dodgers director Dave Roberts said."But for me, I am giving credit to the Braves, because they outplayed us, plain and simple."
The Braves will meet the Houston Astros in the World Series, with the nature slated for Tuesday at Minute Maid Park in Houston. It'll be a family reunion of feathers Snitker's son, Troy, is a hitting trainer for the Astros.
Atlanta gone 16 straight postseason appearances without winning a crown, the longest band in baseball history. Maybe that is what Freeman was allowing of when, as he walked out of the interview room, swapping places with Minter and Matzek, he stopped and yelled back at the tribune.
"We are not done yet, boys!"Freeman said."We still have work to do."