Sorry, Bradford Doolittle and ESPN, where are your editors?!!
This is still up on ESPN.com I thought you would have to take my word for it. However, here/there it is at 1:36 P.M. but Doolittle, their editors and especially ESPN, with its unbearable programming and power, will go on.
Here it is!!
“At that point, history was not on Houston’s side. The Braves became the first team to score four runs in a potential World Series clincher since the 1961 Yankees, who went on to cruise to a 13-5 win over the Reds to win the title 60 years ago.”
I know you meant 4 runs in the first inning, but again you are well paid, (I sure as h–l, am not) get it correct!!
Also the result was not good for those of us rooting for the World Series to end and deny the unbearable Buck and Smoltz another game.
How could 45 year man Snitker (Baker called him that, I do not grant him “Brian,” as he had (4-0) “wood” and let an unknown (Tyler Davidson) yield 2 right back and compound that “sin,” by bringing him out for the third inning) do what he did?!!
Teams down (3-1) in a Braves’ best of 7 are now (1-11) in game 5, the Braves are (0-7), (0-6) as Atlanta, (0-2) this year and (0-3) the last two seasons.
They fell to (5-18) (reverse of John Podres in 1961) in Sunday post-season tilts as the Atlanta Braves.
Fox has been blessed, (me cursed) again hearing Buck and Smoltz, with a #7 World Series game in 3 of the 5 “Smoltz” seasons, 3 of 4 not played in a bubble/neutral site.
The ‘Stros are 6 to 5 faves to make it happen again. I think I have enough on Houston to avoid that, but is not my attitude, at least as pathetic, if not more so than the fact it is Buck and Smoltz.
In some shame, I admit that it is.
Alas, home after the excellent “Brecht on Brecht,” I saw T1, turned on “Psycho,” went to sleep, awoke/bathroom/call to the phone scores (by the way nobody was ever better or even as good as me, doing that back in the day, for Score Phone, a “welcher” named Dominick owes me 2K, but as with all of this, there is nada, I can do. I will let it go!!) heard Atl first and with 5, but when I heard “Hous” 4, I was negative, not even knowing it was at one time, (4-0) Atlanta.
Tomorrow I will try to watch. If you can’t beat them, endure them!!!
Dansby Swanson and Jorge Soler (he was on the ’16 title winning Cubs, homered in his first big league at bat and days back became the first player to homer as the first batter up in the 117 year history of the World Series) hit consecutive, 1 out, solo, HR’s B7 yielding a (3-2) Atlanta lead and eventual same score win in #4 and a seemingly commanding 3 games to 1 lead vs the Houston Astros in the 2021 World Series.
The Braves seeking just theirs and Atlanta’s second major North American sports league crown, is now (7-0) at home in this year’s ‘offs, hoping to become just the third team since the advent of extra playoff entities, to go unbeaten at home during the ‘offs and win the crown. (Likely only the ’08 Phillies and ’99 Yankees have gone unblemished at home since the extra playoff entities began in ’95).
Atlanta (5-17) as the Atlanta Braves in Sunday post-season tilts hope to wrap up the title tonight. If they fail to do so, Fox with Smoltz, who completely botched the point regarding the unprecedented all road team wins,’19 World Series gets another game, breaks at least even, helping fuel their Unique” rhetoric.
It was sad, (was it?) to watch Astros’ manager Dusty Baker finish the writing in his notes after the loss that put Houston in a steep but not insurmountable hole and only I remark that the one time Baker was part of a title team (as an L.A. Dodgers player in strike marred 1981) he and his team benefitted from consecutive, bottom 7, solo homers that turned a one run deficit into a one run/same score win.
Then Pedro Guerrero homered off the excellent Yankees’ pitcher Ron Guidry to tie the game followed by Steve Yeager hitting a go ahead blast. Jerry Reuss went the route (now pitchers leave after 5 innings or less and get ridiculous praise) and L.A. took a (3-2) World Series lead, eventually winning the crown in game 6 when Baker, who did not have a good overall series, delivering a key hit.
The Atlanta Braves scored 2 runs, held the Astros to 2 hits (none yielded by Ian Anderson through 5 innings before he was lifted) and won (2-0) in game 3 and took a 2 games to 1 World Series lead. I wolfed down over priced, but delicious Oreos with vanilla fudge and went to sleep, again watching none.
“El telefono” yielded Atlanta first, with it, the Braves broke a 5 game home World Series losing streak, all at the hands of once Braves player and manager, Joe Torre’s Yankees (add 2 more losses by the Braves at home to the Yankees in the ’58 World Series, when sorry Joe, brother Frank was a bit of a goat and the Braves have lost 7 straight home World Series tilts to the Yankees) and ended a 4 game Houston road World Series game(s) win skein.
Austin Riley, as I finally detail some of this, delivered another big post-season hit, this a 1rbi double, that “tuned” NLCS MVP Eddie Rosario in the bottom of the third.
Meanwhile Anderson for 5 innings and Minter and Jackson for the next 2 held the ‘Stros sans or just type, without a hit.
In inning 8, a Diaz hit dropped in front of the non diving Rosario (protecting vs the extra base hit is more important) and pennant clinching pitching hero Manzek got out of it.
In the “bottom,” Travis D’Arnund, who hit the first homer of #2, surely at nice betting odds, albeit in defeat, homered to center, for (2-0) insurance.
Wil Smith retired Michael Brantley, an excellent hitter, who happened to make the last out of the ’19 World Series as his Houston lost to “Wash” (by the way do you think even with hedges, not to mention furniture sales, ‘they’ are letting Mattress Mac win over 30 million dollars, which he would via his original “‘Stros to title” bet?!!) and one week earlier on a Friday night, caught the last out, as Houston clinched a third straight odd year pennant.
Speaking of Fridays, the Braves are now (4-0) vs the Astros in Friday post-season tilts, all 3 wins in eventual “bastardized”/division series wins, vs them in consecutive odd years,’97,’99 and ’01.
Tonight game 3 of the World Series (I am so glad I saw the funny, extremely talented once Yes keyboarder, Rick Wakeman rather than game 2, the World Series negative being the Fox presentation lowlighted by throw it in our faces, Joe Buck and not the teams, which bothers many) at Atlanta, with the series tied a game apiece.
The Astros are in their fourth World Series, this the second that is tied (1-1). Meanwhile the Braves, in their 10th World Series (2 each in Boston and Milwaukee, which were win then lose and the 6th in Atlanta, (1-4) in previous), and just the second that is (1-1). Those were in ’48, ’57 and ’92, resulting in Braves’ losses in ’48 and ’92 with a glorious win in ’57, ending with the great Ed Mathews stepping on third base, after a nice stop of a smash.
While Houston is only an actual poor, (3-8) at home in home World Series tilts, they are (5-4) in road tilts. The Braves are (13-13) all-time in home World Series games, and (11-16) on the road.
When game 2 losing pitcher, Max Fried faced Alex Bregman in that #2, it marked the first time a Jewish pitcher faced a Jewish batter in the 117 year history of the World Series. Kudos to those who got that note. It was not me.
Surely Buck, a “lucky spermer,” from the Midwest, who evoked “God willing” for his and OKman’s (Aikman, another sickening individual and an over-rated, albeit excellent quarterback) being at the 2022 season Supe. Really if God is dealing with whether this spoiled, given it all, luck sperm club president/Emperor, who did not get the year right for the Ice Bowl, at a tribute to his father, one of that classic game’s broadcasters (he said ’69 for that 12/31/1967 game), then it is no wonder the world is what it is) did NOT note it.
Let me calm down, give you Yes “Roundabout” and ask Joe Buck nicely to stop throwing it in our collective faces, as to all you have–when indeed you “talk at us” (check “Cowboy” and why the ex Dallas Cowboys such as Aikman (3 Supes won, never a big comeback win) and Romo, who NEVER EVEN WON AS MUCH AS A DIVISION Round GAME).
Sorry folks, I just can not handle Buck or Smoltz, the latter botching whether Atlanta’s Riley led in homers or rbis, early so off went the sound and at (3-0) Atlanta, to sleep.
The 88 win(s) Braves ended an 8 game World Series loss skein, all at the hands of the Yankees (’96 and ’99, also since going up (3-1) vs the Yankees in the ’58 W.S.-the Braves went (2-11) vs the “Bronx Bombers”) with their easy (6-2) win in the opener.
Meanwhile the ‘Stros have now, somewhat incredibly, lost 5 straight home World Series games, having lost all four in the all road 2019 World Series won by the Washington Nationals.
Mr. (Jorge, mine not shopping) Soler set the tone blasting a home run as the first World Series batter, the first time that happened in the World Series’ 117 entities.
Tonight the Houston Astros, who are roughly 6 and a fraction to five series favorites, host the Atlanta Braves in game 1 of the 2021 World Series.
It is the third time ever, second this season, each involving the Astros, that teams which had clashed in post-season play in one league, meet in such an entity after one of the teams had switched leagues.
Both instances this year are World Series and “div series,” leaving the Cards/Brewers two clashes, one a World Series and the other an LCS, as the only such W.S. and LCS clashes between teams. (For the record, the Cards 7’d the Brewers in the ’82 W.S. then 6’d them in the 2011 NLCS, in route to their 11th and to this point last/most recent title. Already this season, the Astros “avenged” a 2005 World Series sweep at the hands of the White Sox in the 2005 World Series, with a (3-1) “div” series win and now they face their 5 time N.L. division series opponent, the Braves in the World Series. Atlanta won those entities in ’97,’99 and 2001 while Houston prevailed in ’04 and ’05, the ’05 series ending on Chris Burke’s 18th inning home run in game 4).
3 big trends from Dodgers’ history prevailed this year, all or at least part in the Braves/Dodgers NLCS.
As stated here, teams down (2-0) and playing a home game 3 in a Dodgers best of 7 post-season series went to (13-1) with the L.A. win in game 3 vs the Braves.
I also cited (TBS “said” the Braves are (0-5) in a game 5 with a (3-1) series lead, not counting (likely correctly said Atlanta Braves), the ’58 Milwaukee Braves, who not only lost game 5 but that World Series to the Yankees. Alas did they get spurred on to the #5 note via my research, as I did send it?!) that teams up (3-1) in a Braves’ post-season series are now (1-10) in game 5 of that series after the other L.A. series win.
Finally and there are more, but what is the point, (Richard Pryor: “The point is, there is NO point”), the game 4 indicator in Dodgers’ post-season series “bounced back” with 2 “wins” this season after 2 losses last season and said indicator is (10-5) after an incredible 25 straight “wins” from 1955 (Brooklyn Dodgers’ lone title was with a game 4 World Series win) until the Mets, having lost #4, won the decisive 5th at L.A. to win their division series.
The details on that incredible streak are a click away from a post the day after that 2015 division series concluded.
I will add to the following paragraph in Sarah Langs notes/story regarding Dusty Baker being back in the World Series.
“Between World Series appearances, Baker managed 54 postseason games — from the 2003 Cubs through Game 6 of this year’s ALCS. That’s the most postseason games managed between World Series games, surpassing a 48-game stretch by La Russa between a 1990 AL pennant with the A’s and a 2004 NL pennant with the Cardinals, according to Elias.”
La Russa, at least she got the separation in his name correct, won the ’90 pennant with the A’s, thus managed in the subsequent World Series, a point not made all that clear by Ms. Langs, getting swept in 4 games, by the big underdog, Cincinnati Reds. (Michael Kay picked the A’s in 5 games).
La Russa, after losing that ’90 World Series got into the ‘offs once more with Oakland, losing in 6 to the eventual champion Toronto Blue Jays in the ’92 ALCS.
Next with the St. Louis Cardinals he and his team(s) won the ’96 div series in 3 straight vs San Diego, before dissipating a (3-1) NLCS lead and losing to the Braves in 7 games. In 2000, his Cards swept the Braves in 3 straight in the “div” series before getting 5’d by the Mets in the NLCS.
In ’01 his Cards lost in the maximum 5 games to the eventual champion Arizona Diamondbacks as Tony Womack, who later delivered, arguably baseball’s most important hit in #7/2001 World Series, for which a la Hal Smith 41 years earlier and also vs the Yankees, gets so little credit. That is 29 games managed since his loss in #4 World Series in ’90.
The other 19 were in a 3 game sweep vs defending champion Arizona and 5 game loss (the latter to Dusty Baker’s Giants, who were in route to Baker’s only other W.S. appearance as a manager) NLCS loss in ’03, before a 4 game “div” series triumph vs L.A. (Dodgers) and a 7 game win vs Baker’s current team, the then National League member, Houston Astros, propelled La Russa back into the World Series.
Let’s say via Elias, Langs got the point out and I provided additional details. Coming up, a few more World Series and other notes, you likely will not find elsewhere.
The Atlanta Braves with a (4-2) game 6 and 4 games to 2, NLCS win, won their first Pennant in 22 years, having last done so, also in a home game 6 win back (Wil Shorts said “back” as I typed) in 1999.
Series MVP, Ed Rosario, the star of the three even numbered series tilts, had the big hit, a 3RHR in the bottom of the fourth, that gave Atlanta the lead to stay.
Atlanta will face the Houston Astros, who have won three consecutive odd year, American League Pennants, clinching all 3 at home.
Tyler Matzek, appearing after another poor performance by third game losing pitcher,” Luke Jackson, fanned the “over the hill,” Albert Pujols and two others with L.A. runners at second and third none out, T7 and the score (4-2).
Let’s cite Ehure Adrianza, whose pinch, broken bat double to the right field corner, set up Rosario.
Our first picture in a while is that of Eddie Rosario, wearing #13 in 2013.
He led the A.L. in triples in 2015 as a Minnesota Twins’ player and homered on the first pitch he faced in the big leagues, that of Scott Kazmir.
Yet he has come out of nowhere, putting on one of the great post-season series performances.
Commencing with Jose Altuve’s key game tying home run in #4, the Houston Astros dominated the last three games of their ALCS and 6’d the “4 time champions this century after an 86 year title drought,” Boston Red Sox to claim their third A.L. crown in 5 seasons. (3 straight in odd year seasons, ’17,’19 and 2021).
Series MVP Yordan Alvarez and second game. “knocked around losing pitcher,” Luis Garcia led Houston (5-0) in the Friday night game 6 clincher. After Fox (If L.A. a 3 to 2 fave , prevails in tonight’s #6, TBS will have a longer LCS than Fox for just the second time in 15 “competing” seasons (’07-2021) showed a creative sign “King Tuck,” for Kyle Tucker, his 3RHR completely wrapped up manager Dusty Baker’s second pennant, the other 19 years ago with the N.L. Giants.
Only Stanley “Bucky” Harris (he won flags in 1924 and 1925 with the Washington Senators and then a still high 23years later with the Yankees. Also Harris won the World Series in 1924 and 1947. Baker lost in his only previous managerial World Series and only in strike marred 1981, among his 3 appearances as a player did his team (the Dodgers) prevail) went longer (23 years) than Baker between managed pennants.
Teams ko’ing the Red Sox in previous ALCS went (1-4) in the subsequent World Series. (only the ’99 Yankees won while the A’s in both ’88 and ’90, the Yankees in ’03 and the Rays in ’08 lost.)
Baker is the ninth manager to win pennants in both leagues. Nobody but me, it would seem and certainly not Joe Buck, noted that Michael Brantley, who also delivered a big 3 run double insurance hit in the Astros’ 7 run 9th inning/game 4, who caught the Bogaerts fly vs Pressley (maybe think about Humphrey and Elvis), to end this series, made the last out when the Nationals “washed” away the Astros in the all road 2019 World Series.
Thoughts abound after this no win/too many futures/too much “hedging” ALCS: 2019, the Bellman, the Astros with the above cited “Brantley notes” win the pennant on the day Bellman is “Ted Hendricks” and my friend Chris MacLeod is “Sam Huff.”
Buck, a Neil Freigenberg coined term, at least to me, for one born to it, failed to cite Hal Smith in referencing the ’60 World Series and the once Yankee Stadium locale of 161st Street when “Horning” (his researcher is named Horn and when Buck snidely said “raise your hand if you are going to Cleveland for Thursday night football, “barf bags” overflowed with and in “use”) over that 161 post-season tilts have been played there, some further north at 167th.
By the way, the Astros are a near great team, that did not need to steal signs. I knew it was to be Houston when some writer in the Boston Globe, not only “preached vs Houston, but “chirped’ far too soon up (2-1), regarding the series outcome.
It was a good season for the Red Sox, however, though they fell to (6-6) in ALCS play. They are (9-4) in World Series play!!
Andy B Sports 