Party like it’s ’99: Braves beat Dodgers to advance to World Series

The Atlanta Braves #killedthenarrative to win their first National League pennant since 1999 to earn a date with the Houston Astros.

I’m not sure how to make it sound more amazing than it is, so I’ll just state it how it is: the Atlanta Braves are the National League Champions of 2021, and will play in their first World Series since 1999.

It all came down to an epic game six in front of over 43,000 fans at Truist Park in Atlanta. The Braves rode some clutch hitting and dominant pitching in the late innings to take down the defending World Series Champion Los Angeles Dodgers by a score of 4-2.

First blood:  Atlanta Braves

The Braves’ offense struck early in the bottom of the first, as Austin Riley hit a ground-rule double to score Ozzie Albies which gave the Braves a 1-0 lead. The darkhorse NL MVP candidate Riley was 2-for-5 on the day.

Ian Anderson got the start for the Braves, his second of the series. His last start was in Game 2, where he pitched just three innings but only allowed two runs.

He pitched three scoreless frames to start this game, but allowed a Cody Bellinger RBI single in the fourth that scored Trae Turner, tying the game at one. That was the only run allowed by the young rookie, who has now allowed just five runs in his first five postseason starts.

His final line was 4.0 innings, 3 hits, 1 earned run, 1 walk, and 4 strikeouts.

In the bottom of the fourth inning, Travis d’Arnaud drew a walk from Dodgers’ pitcher Walker Buehler, starting on short rest for Dave Roberts’ team. Ehire Adrianza pinch hit for Anderson and served a double into right field, bringing d’Arnaud to third.

More importantly, that extended the inning.

Then came Eddie Rosario, a man acquired in July from the Cleveland Indians for Pablo Sandoval, who has been on a historic tear in the NLCS. On a 1-2 count, with two outs, Rosario sent a ball towards the Chop House to give the Braves a 4-1 lead.

In the NLCS, Rosario hit .560 (14 hits overall, which was tied for the most in NLCS history) with 3 home runs and 9 RBIs. He was the consensus pick for NLCS MVP.

AJ Minter continued his dominant postseason by throwing two scoreless innings without allowing a hit, walk, or run. Luke Jackson followed in the seventh and promptly caused panic attacks across Braves country, as he allowed two hits, a walk, and a run… all without recording an out.

Enter Tyler Matzek.

Remember in Star Wars IX: The Rise of Skywalker, when Rey and Emperor Palpatine are confronting each other, and they exchange lines of, “I am all the Sith!” and, “I am all the Jedi”? Well, Tyler Matzek was all the elite relievers who have ever lived for the next two innings.

Matzek struck out the next three batters to escape the jam, and returned in the eighth inning, looking just as dominant as in his seventh-inning performance.

After a scoreless bottom of the eighth, closer Will Smith came out to get the most important three outs of his career, with the hopes and dreams of the city of Atlanta, the state of Georgia, and Braves fans across the country rooting him on.

Smith struck out the first two batters, and induced a groundball out to set Truist Park to celebration mode.

As mentioned, this was the first National League pennant win for the Braves since 1999. I was five months old when that happened.

What else can you say about this team? They have overcome injuries, bad losses, off the field issues, and almost anything else you can think of and yet, here they are, kings of the National League.

Regardless of what happens in the World Series, the 2021 Atlanta Braves will hold a special place in the hearts of many Atlanta fans. There truly is nothing like being a fan of the Braves.

Hank, Phil, Don, this is for you guys, and we’re not done yet.

See you next week Houston. Go Braves.