Ozzie Albies might be everyone’s favorite baseball player right now. In Game 1 of the World Series between the Atlanta Braves and Houston Astros, the Braves’ second baseman stole second base in the first inning. The play meant that the entire country gets a free taco as part of Taco Bell’s “Steal a base, steal a taco” promotion. This is the 10th year Taco Bell has offered everyone a free taco when a player steals a base in the World Series. Last year, Los Angeles Dodgers’ Mookie Betts got the stolen base against the Tampa Bay Rays.
“Thanks to Albies’ steal, America will be able to get free Doritos Locos Tacos on Thursday, Nov. 4, in store at participating Taco Bell locations, online, or in the app,” the press release states. “The taco-clinching steal has now happened in Game 1 of the Fall Classic in four straight years, and the teams of past Taco Heroes are 7-2 in the World Series with championships in each of the past four years.”
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Albies had a memorable first World Series game. Along with the stolen base, the 24-year-old went 2-for-5 and scored a run in the Braves 6-2 win over the Astros. The Braves are playing in their first World Series since 1999 and won their first World Series game since 1996. And the Braves won the game despite starting pitcher Charlie Morton leaving in the third inning with a broken leg.
“We’ve been through this many times this year,” Braves manager Brian Snitker said, “losing key components to our club. I mean, really key components. We’re going to continue. It’s not going to be an excuse or anything else. We’re going to go out and continue to try and win games.”
Albies made his MLB debut with the Braves in 2017. He has made the All-Star team twice (2018, 2021) and won the Silver Slugger Award in 2019. It was recently announced that Albies was named a finalist for the Silver Slugger award for this season after hitting a career-high 30 home runs and 106 RBIs. Albies is one of the many players who have helped the Braves turn their season around and reach the World Series. The Braves started the season losing its first four games and didn’t have a winning record until Aug. 6.
