The 2021 World Series is finally here after a long regular season. The two teams that have earned the right to play in the Fall Classic are the Atlanta Braves and the Houston Astros. Game 1 of the World Series will start at 8:09 p.m. ET on Fox. The game will also stream on FoxSports.com, and the starting pitchers are Charlie Morton of the Braves and Framber Valdez of the Astros.
The Braves have made it to the World Series for the first time since 1999. They are also looking to win their first World Series Game since 1996. Most — if not all — experts didn’t expect to see the Braves in the World Series since the team had a losing record at the beginning of August. However, Braves general manager Alex Anthopoulos made some big trades before the deadline, leading them to go on a hot streak the last two months.
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“I think this might be the definition of pure joy,” Braves star and reigning NL MVP Freddie Freeman said. “We’re up here going to the World Series without Ronald Acuña Jr. It’s amazing what this team did.” The Braves have ended their MLB-long skid of playoff appearances (12) without reaching the World Series and are seeking their first championship since 1995.
The Astros are playing in their third World Series in five years and looking to win their second title in that span. The team has been under fire for their cheating scandal that surfaced in 2019, but they have kept their heads down and played quality baseball throughout the year. The Astros are led by manager Dusty Baker who is seeking his first World Series title.
“I think this team is way past that [scandal] because they know they can play,” Baker said. “We are here where we wanted to be, and so we just play the game. You play the game for the love of the game and the love of winning, and they’re about winning, and I’m about winning.” The Braves and Astros have a long playoff history. They had met five times in the postseason when the Astros were in the National League. The Braves beat the Astros in the 1997, 1999, and 2001 NLDS while Astros took down the Braves in the NLDS in 2004 and 2005.
