The Atlanta Braves set the tone quickly and defeated the Houston Astros 6-2 on Tuesday night in the first matchup of the 117th World Series.
Entering the World Series for the first time since 1999, the Braves scored five runs in the first three innings to put the game out of their hands.
The Astros conceded a fifth straight loss at home in the World Series, the second longest such streak since 1940.
The Atlanta squad took a 1-0 lead and the second matchup will take place Wednesday night, again at Minute Maid Park in Houston.
On the sidelines for five games due to COVID-19, Jorge Soler hailed his return to the game by catapulting the third shot of the game over the left-field fence to give the Braves a 1-0 lead.
Soler also became the first player to go home as a first batter in the opening game of a World Series.
The Braves didn’t stop there against starter Framber Valdez. Ozzie Albies hit an infield single and stole the second cushion. Austin Riley pushed him home with a double.
The Atlanta troops extended their lead to 3-0 in the second inning, following a Soler option, but still used the long ball to distance themselves in the third.
National Championship Series MVP Eddie Rosario started the third set with a single and didn’t stay long on the trail. Adam Duvall hit a two-run homerun off Valdez, making it 5-0.
Meanwhile, Braves starter Charlie Morton showed a lot of courage during two and a third innings on the mound.
Morton pulled himself out in the first run, when the cushions were all occupied, and he was hit by a Yuli Gurriel roll in the second. Visibly injured, the 37-year-old veteran remained in the game until he was withdrawn from the game.
The Braves reported in the fifth inning that x-rays showed Morton’s right fibula fracture. He will not be returning to the game in the series.
The Astros got on the scoreboard in the fourth inning, at the expense of reliever AJ Minter.
Minter gave Kyle Tucker a double and Gurriel put runners on the ends with a single to the left. Chas McCormick slammed a ball towards Braves second baseman Dansby Swanson, but the latter made a mistake. Tucker took the opportunity to touch the plate.
Both teams added a point each in the eighth inning. Freddie Freeman gave the Braves a 6-1 lead when he was struck out on a sacrifice. The Astros were no more spectacular, as Yordan Alvarez came in to score from a Carlos Correa ground after hitting a triple.
All of the Braves’ starting players have had at least one hit. Soler, Albies and Rosario collected two each.
Valdez, who had been sensational for eight innings against the Boston Red Sox in the fifth game of the American championship series, conceded five runs, eight hits and one walk in two innings of work.
The Astros compete in the World Series for the third time in five years. They took top honors in 2017, defeating the Los Angeles Dodgers in seven games.
The Braves have won the World Series only once since moving to Atlanta, in 1995.