The Atlanta Braves who lost their best player Ronald Acuna in July, who languished under the .500 threshold until August… beat the Houston Astros in Houston in Game 6 on Tuesday night by a score of 7-0 to win the franchise its second title and first since 1995.
Braves’ general manager Alex Anthopolous acquired four players at the trade deadline with the belief his team had a chance to catch and pass the NY Mets and Philadelphia Phillies in their divisional race.
Opting not to tank or give up on the season like some in the NBA… the Braves’ GM acquired Eddie Rosario, Adam Duvall, Joc Pederson, and Jorge Solero. The four players were a perfect fit for the ailing Braves and a template on how a GM can salvage a season at the trade deadline.
The Braves won 88 games and won their division while the Dodgers and Giants each won 106 games in the regular season. These Braves were genuinely charmed as they didn’t even have to play as a wild card.
Atlanta dispensed of Milwaukee, then the Dodgers, and then won it all in Game 6 with a 7-0 rout of the Houston Astros as Series MVP Jorge Solero led the way with a three run blast which exited Minutemaid Stadium over the left field wall.
A hushed silence overtook the onlookers as Solero’s blast left the stadium and crossed the railroad tracks outside the ballpark. You could see by the reactions of Houston skipper Dusty Baker and Astro fans that the game was over with that third inning knockout punch.
Houston was done. A third round knockout with a punch which will be remembered in baseball history.
What a tragic ending for the Astros as they were attempting to cleanse their legacy for the cheating scandal which diminished their championship in 2017.
I felt sorry for the Astros. It was a sad moment when total redemption escaped them in their run to this World Series and instead found itself parked on the shoulder of the discarded Jorge Solero who with his Series’ three homers and six RBIs was named the Series’ MVP.
Congrats to the Atlanta Braves … you are the champions of the baseball world on November 3rd, 2021.