World Series Game 3: Braves vs Astros

Atlanta Braves pitcher Will Smith, left, celebrate after they win Game Three against the Houston Astros.

Starter Ian Anderson threw five no-hit, scoreless innings, third baseman Austin Riley and catcher Travis d’Arnaud provided the offense, and the Braves established a 2-1 advantage in the 2021 World Series by winning 2-0 Friday night. 

It was a game the Braves had to win. Playing a World Series game at home for the first time since 1999, the Braves needed to capitalize on Anderson’s start, as the team is likely looking at bullpen-heavy games the rest of the weekend.

Anderson, who is still technically a rookie, dazzled over five innings, walking three and striking out four. Houston starter Luis Garcia pitched well, allowing only one run while striking out six in 3.2 innings, but took the loss.

Relievers A.J. Minter and Luke Jackson carried the no-hitter into the 8th before a bloop base hit off the bat of Aledmys Diaz in front of left fielder Eddie Rosario cost the Braves a chance to become the second team in World Series history to throw a no-hitter.

Still, it was a nearly spotless night for the Braves’ bullpen: four scoreless innings, two hits, no walks. Closer Will Smith picked up the save with a scoreless 9th.

The Braves scored in the 3rd when Riley lashed an RBI double down the left field line to score Rosario. The rest of the night was a one-run nail-biter, with d’Arnaud providing much-needed insurance with a 437-foot monster home run to center field in the bottom of the 8th to make it 2-0.

Game 4 is set for tomorrow night at 8:09 p.m. ET.

Travis d'Arnaud of the Atlanta Braves celebrates after hitting a one run home run in the eighth.

Braves catcher Travis d’Arnaud has made it 2-0 Atlanta with a long home run to center field off Kendall Graveman.

The 437-foot blast was d’Arnaud’s second home run of the World Series. He also homered in Game 2.

Braves left fielder Eddie Rosario can't get a glove on a fly ball hit by Houston Astros' Aledmys Diaz during the eighth inning.

It took until the eighth inning and it took a blooper dropping in front of an outfielder who appeared to have a play on the ball for the Houston Astros to land their first hit of the game.

Houston’s Aledmys Diaz led off the top of the eighth with a flare off Braves reliever Tyler Matzek that barely landed in front of left fielder Eddie Rosario.

The Astros had zero hits through seven innings as the Braves were bidding for the first no-hitter in the World Series since the New York Yankees Don Larsen tossed a perfect game in 1956.

Pitcher Ian Anderson started and went five innings. Relievers A.J. Minter and Luke Jackson each threw one inning. All the Astros had until the eighth were three walks and two hit batsmen.

According to Sarah Langs, a reporter/producer for MLB, Atlanta was the first team with a no-hitter through the first seven innings of a World Series game since the 1967 World Series when Red Sox pitcher Jim Lonborg went 7.2 hitless in Game 2.

Luke Jackson on the mound for Atlanta.

Braves RHP Luke Jackson is pitching the 7th as he’ll look to keep the no-hitter he inherited from Ian Anderson and A.J. Minter going.

Jackson threw 1.2 scoreless innings in relief in Game 1.

It’s still1-0 Braves in the top of the 7th.

A.J. Minter of the Atlanta Braves prepares to pitch against the Houston Astros during the sixth inning.

Although Ian Anderson is a rookie, and yes, he was about to go a dreaded third time through the Astros’ vaunted lineup, it was still surprising to see Braves manager Brian Snitker pull him after five no-hit innings considering the massive workload Atlanta will be putting on its bullpen in the next couple of games.

Anderson is the first rookie to toss at least five no-hit innings in a World Series in 109 years. In 1912, the New York Giants’ Jeff Tesreau held the Boston Red Sox hitless for 5.1 innings before Tris Speaker tripled. The Giants lost to Smoky Joe Wood and the Sox 4-3.

On now for the Braves is lefty A.J. Minter, the pitching hero of Game 1, whose critical 2.2 innings to relieve the injured Charlie Morton salvaged a victory.

It’s 1-0 Braves as we start the 6th.

Houston Astros pitcher Blake Taylor throws during the fourth inning.

Houston Astros starter Luis Garcia had a heavy workload through the first three innings, throwing 70 pitches.

He started the bottom of the fourth smartly, getting the first two batters on two pitches, but manager Dusty Baker felt it was time to pull Garcia and bring in left-handed reliever Blake Taylor to face the left-handed hitter Eddie Rosario.

Garcia left having pitched 3.2 innings, with the Astros trailing 1-0. He struck out six hitters, becoming the first rookie pitcher to have multiple strikeouts in the first three innings of a World Series game.

Atlanta Braves starting pitcher Ian Anderson throws during the first inning.

In what is arguably the most important start for any pitcher in this World Series, Braves’ hurler Ian Anderson is answering the call so far in Game 3, allowing no hits over four scoreless innings.

Here’s how important Anderson is: The Braves are without staff ace Charlie Morton for the rest of the series and are looking at at least one bullpen game this weekend in his absence.

That means every inning the Braves can get tonight without using another arm is super important. And Anderson, four innings deep on 67 pitches, is giving them exactly what they need.

It’s 1-0 Braves midway through the 4th inning.

Austin Riley of the Atlanta Braves hits an RBI double against the Houston Astros during the third inning.

A leadoff walk came back to haunt Houston Astros starter Luis Garcia in the bottom of the third as the Braves took the lead.

Eddie Rosario led off with a six-pitch walk then Freddie Freeman singled sharply to left. After Ozzie Albies struck out swinging, cleanup hitter Austin Riley smoked a 0-1 cutter down the left-field line to score Rosario and send Freeman to third. With two on, Jorge Soler walked to load the bases.

But Garcia battled back and got Adam Duvall to pop up to Astros first baseman Yuli Gurriel in foul territory and struck out Travis d’Arnaud to end the threat.

The Braves lead 1-0 after three innings but have left six runners on base.

Astros pitcher Luis Garcia delivers a pitch against the Atlanta Braves during the first inning in Game 3 of the World Series at Truist Park on October 29 in Atlanta.

It’s a scoreless start to Game 3 as Braves starter Ian Anderson worked around two walks in the top half of the first to keep the Astros off the board.

Astros RHP Luis Garcia returned the favor in the bottom half of the inning, blowing away Austin Riley with a 96 mph fastball to end the frame.

Something to watch: Both pitchers approached 20 pitches in the inning, a sizable workload, especially for Anderson, whom the Braves would like to see give them some length tonight ahead of what is likely to be a heavy bullpen assignment later in the series following the injury to Braves starter Charlie Morton in Game 1.

No score here in the 2nd.

Braves fans didn’t waste any time Friday night recalling the 2017 scandal in which the Astros successfully stole signs en route to a World Series championship, chanting “Cheater! Cheater!” during leadoff man Jose Altuve’s at-bat.

An MLB investigation in late 2019 found that at the start of the 2017 season, employees in the Astros video replay review room started using the live game feed from the center field camera to decode and transmit opposing teams’ sign sequences to use when an Astros runner was on second base.

When the sign sequence was decoded, a player in the video replay room would act as a “runner” to pass along the information to the dugout, according to the findings.

A person in the dugout would notify players in the dugout or signal the sign sequence to a runner on second base. That runner would decipher the catcher’s sign, and signal to the batter from second base, the investigation found.

Ultimately, the Astros are still recognized as the 2017 champions and no players were disciplined, but the scandal has cast a cloud over the team’s sole World Series title.

A flag covers outfield during the national anthem before Game 3 of baseball's World Series between the Houston Astros and the Atlanta Braves on October 29 in Atlanta.

The Houston Astros face off against the Atlanta Braves tonight in Atlanta for Game 3 of the World Series.

The series is tied 1-1.

Hank Aaron Jr. throws out the ceremonial first pitch before Game 3 of baseball's World Series between the Houston Astros and the Atlanta Braves on October 29 in Atlanta.

The son of the late Braves legend Hank Aaron threw out the first pitch before the game after Atlanta honored the baseball Hall of Famer with a two-minute tribute.

Aaron, who broke Babe Ruth’s all-time home run record in the face of racism and became a revered ambassador to the game, died in January at age 86.

Dodgers manager Dusty Baker, a former Braves teammate of Aaron’s, came out and hugged Henry Aaron Jr., and other members of the family.

Hank Aaron Jr.’s pitch was just a little inside and was snagged by Braves first baseman Freddie Freeman, who won the National League version of the 2020 award for best offensive performer that is named in Aaron’s honor.

We have our first Tomahawk Chop of the night.

The controversial rallying cry, a staple of Braves games for 30 years, was loudly ringing through Truist Park ahead of the first pitch.

Several advocacy groups and observers have accused the chant of mocking Native American groups and decried it as racist. But many Braves fans, including Georgia Republican Gov. Brian Kemp, have dismissed the criticism, and the stadium was leading the fans in doing the chant.

The Braves organization has not commented in recent days in regard to criticism of the chant, which has been under renewed scrutiny due to the team’s postseason success. Major League Baseball Commissioner Rob Manfred has demurred in offering an opinion on the chant, instead deferring to the Native American community. 

Asked before Game 3 about the chant, Astros manager Dusty Baker said, “It’s their thing. They have to solve that.”

Charlie Morton of the Atlanta Braves is taken out of the game against the Houston Astros during the third inning in Game One of the World Series at Minute Maid Park on October 26 in Houston.

Braves manager Brian Snitker said before Game 3 that pitcher Charlie Morton, who suffered a fractured right fibula in the third inning of the World Series opener has had surgery to repair the break.

Morton had looked good early in Game 1 but took a 102 mph comebacker off the bat of Yuli Gurriel to the shin the second inning. Morton threw 16 pitches to three more batters but stumbled and grimaced while striking out Jose Altuve.

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.

If you’re planning to tune in for the rest of the best-of-seven series, here’s a look at the schedule:

All of the games will begin at 8:09 p.m. ET, except for Game 5, which will begin at 8:15 p.m. ET. The games will all be shown on TV by Fox.

Reporting from CNN’s Jack Bantock contributed to this post.

Native groups and advocates are demanding that the Atlanta Braves eliminate the “Tomahawk chop” symbol and gesture from its branding and game day traditions, saying the team is perpetuating racist stereotypes as the Braves take the national stage in the World Series.

Leaders from the Native community said this week it’s past time for the Braves to join other professional sports teams such as the Cleveland Guardians and Washington Football Team in removing offensive imagery and mascots which they say reduce Native people down to caricatures. 

Cleveland, formerly the Indians, and Washington, formerly the Redskins, announced last year they were changing their mascots when the nation faced a reckoning on racism. That reckoning was a catalyst for not only sports teams, but also for companies like Quaker Oats, for example, which changed branding and logos that it believed promoted racist stereotypes.

The Braves’ name and “Tomahawk chop” have long garnered criticism from Native groups and tribal communities, but the team has stopped short of eliminating the name and Tomahawk symbol or chopping gesture that has been a game day tradition since 1991. Last summer, the Braves said they were reviewing the “chop” amid calls from the Native community.

The conversations about the “chop” were renewed earlier this week when Major League Baseball Commissioner Rob Manfred defended the Braves’ name and symbol saying the Native American community in the Atlanta region is “wholly supportive of the Braves program, including the chop. For me, that’s the end of the story.”

The Braves did not immediately respond to a request for comment on the recent criticism and the findings in their review of the “Tomahawk chop” last year.

Crystal EchoHawk, executive director and founder of IllumiNative, said the “Tomahawk chop” is both “racist” and “dehumanizing” for Native people and that the team needs to remove it. EchoHawk said the imagery used by the Braves and other sports teams has created toxic and harmful stereotypes of Native Americans. A lot of the imagery originated in Hollywood and doesn’t accurately represent Native people or culture, she said. 

“There’s zero rationale for the team to hold on to this any longer,” EchoHawk said. “I think it says that the franchise is very much a part of perpetuating and condoning racism full stop.”

Read more here.

Truist Park takes center stage tonight as the World Series shifts from Houston to Atlanta, with the Braves and the Astros looking to break the deadlock.

Tied at a game apiece following Wednesday night’s dominant 7-2 Astros win — lit up by the ferocious pitching of right-hander José Urquidy — the Braves will be looking to capitalize on home advantage for Games 3, 4 and 5.

Home of the Braves since 2017, manager Brian Snitker expects the 41,000-seat capacity Truist Park — the crown jewel of The Battery Atlanta entertainment district — to be “wild” come first pitch.

“It’s been really, really good, from the first year that we played here,” Snitker said during Thursday’s off-day.

“It’s a good product — an exciting team, a fun team to watch. I think the whole Battery, Truist Park concept and all led to this being a really fun place to come and watch a game. It’s wild in here.

“It has been all year really. We’ve had great crowds from the beginning of opening things up again. I didn’t see, but they said even the last couple of nights it’s just packed in the Battery, and I know one of the coach’s wives that couldn’t make the trip said she cracked her door and felt like we were playing the game here.

“It’s an exciting place to play, to be at. It will be wild tomorrow.”

Ian Anderson — the Braves’ Game 3 starting pitcher — echoed his manager’s excitement.

“I know that there hasn’t been a World Series game here for quite some time now,” Anderson said.

“It’s been awesome. We’ve kind of taken it on as an identity, and the fans and you guys and the media too have played a big part in that. I think the fans are excited. I think Atlanta sports fans are always into this time of year.

“We’ve had some success, the teams and the city have had some success. So we’re looking to get it done for them.”

Read more here.