World Series: Braves Defeat Astros in Game 6, Win First Championship in 26 Years

The Atlanta Braves have done it. In Game 6 of the World Series, the Braves defeated the Houston Astros 7-0 to win their first championship since 1995. The Braves were led by Freddie Freeman and Jorge Soler as they both homered in the win. Pitcher Max Fried only give up four hits and struck out six in as many innings of work.

The Braves were not supposed to be in this position based on the season they had. They started the year getting swept by the Philadelphia Phillies and didn't have a winning record on Aug 6. However, in the second half of the season, the Braves made some important trades, adding Eddie Rosario, Joc Pederson, Adam Duvall and Soler, and all four played a huge part in the team's run to the World Series. The Braves also got key contributions from their main stars — Ozzie Albies, Dansby Swanson, Austin Riley and Freeman who was the NL MVP last year.

The World Series win for the Braves is a culmination of what this team has built since moving from Turner Field to Truist Park in 2017 (was called SunTrust Park at the time). In 2018, the Braves won their first division title since 2013 but lost to the Los Angeles Dodgers in the NLDS. In 2019, the Braves won the NL East again only to lose to the St. Louis Cardinals in the NLDS. 

In 2020, the Braves won the division in a COVID-shortened season and won playoff series against the Cincinnati Reds and Miami Marlins, they faced the Dodgers in the NLCS, and despite leading the series 3-1, the Braves lost in seven games. And with the team getting off to a very slow start in 2021, winning the World Series is a huge, but nice surprise for fans.

The Braves got hot in the second half and won the division for the fourth consecutive year. They went on to defeat the Milwaukee Brewers in the NLDS, and after years of trying, the Braves finally beat the Dodgers in the playoffs, winning the NLCS 4-2. And with the win tonight, the Braves have brought Atlanta its second-ever major pro sports championship.

The Astros, who were playing in their third World Series in five years, came up short again. In 2019, Houston lost to the Washington Nationals in the World Series in seven games. They won the title in 2017, but the victory is under fire due to the cheating scandal that surfaced in 2019.