The Houston Astros overpowered the Atlanta Braves in Game 2 of the best-of-seven World Series. Follow here for the latest news.
Game 3 of the 2021 World Series shifts to Atlanta on Friday night as the Braves and Astros look to break a 1-1 series tie. The first pitch is scheduled for 8:09 p.m. ET. The weather forecast calls for temperatures in the high 40s with a chance of rain, and unlike Minute Maid Park, Atlanta’s Truist Park does not have a retractable roof. It’s going to be a raw night. Two rookies will take the mound, with Ian Anderson (1-0,2.25 ERA in three postseason starts) going for the Braves against the Astros’ Luis Garcia (1-1,9.64 ERA in three postseason starts). Anderson, who made his MLB debut late last year but didn’t accumulate enough innings to officially lose the “rookie” designation, was a breakout star during last year’s postseason and owns a 1.47 ERA through seven career October starts. Garcia, who was roughed up in his first two postseason appearances this year, rebounded in Game 6 of the American League Championship Series to provide Houston with a strong one-hit performance over 5.2 scoreless innings. The shift to a National League park means there will be no designated hitter this weekend, possibly for the last time in World Series history. Look for that to be more of a drag on the typically DH-utilizing Astros, who will move Yordan Alvarez to left field and Kyle Tucker over to center as they look to keep their best bats in the lineup at the expense of their defense. The Braves, meanwhile, will sit power hitter Joc Pederson, who has been cold to start the series, in order to keep Jorge Soler’s bat in right field. Neither of the first two games were particularly close. The Braves quickly pounced on Astros starter Framber Valdez in Game 1 en route to a 6-2 victory, and Houston cruised to a 7-2 triumph the next night. What else to watch for: Game 3 will also be notable in light of two non-baseball-related controversies: the decision earlier this year by Major League Baseball to move the All-Star Game away from Truist Park in protest over Georgia’s restrictive voting law passed earlier this year, and an ongoing national debate about the appropriateness of Native American imagery by the Braves, including their longtime “Tomahawk Chop” chant. The Atlanta Braves and Houston Astros will face off tonight in Game 3 of the World Series. The Astros are appearing in their third World Series in five seasons, having won the 2017 crown but lost the 2019 title to the Washington Nationals in seven games.
