| 2021 World Series | ||||||||||
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| Dates | October 26 – November 2 | |||||||||
| Venue(s) | Truist Park (Atlanta) Minute Maid Park (Houston) | |||||||||
| MVP | Jorge Soler (Atlanta) | |||||||||
| Umpires | Ted Barrett,Dan Bellino,Chris Conroy,Tom Hallion (crew chief),Ron Kulpa,Alfonso Márquez,Mike Muchlinski[1] | |||||||||
| Broadcast | ||||||||||
| Television | Fox (United States – English) Fox Deportes (United States – Spanish) MLB International (International) | |||||||||
| TV announcers | Joe Buck,John Smoltz,Ken Rosenthal andTom Verducci (Fox) Adrian Garcia Marquez,Edgar Gonzalez and Carlos Álvarez (Fox Deportes) Scott Braun andDan Plesac (MLB International) | |||||||||
| Radio | ESPN (United States – English) TUDN (United States – Spanish) WCNN (ATL – English) WAOS (ATL – Spanish) KBME (HOU – English) KLAT (HOU – Spanish) | |||||||||
| Radio announcers | Dan Shulman,Jessica Mendoza,Eduardo Pérez andBuster Olney (ESPN) Jesús Acostas, Alberto Ferreiro, José Luis Napoles and Luis Eduardo Quiñones (TUDN) Ben Ingram andJoe Simpson (WCNN) Daniel Cantú and Emanuel Zamarrón (WAOS) Robert Ford andSteve Sparks (KBME) Francisco Romero andAlex Treviño (KLAT) | |||||||||
| ALCS | Houston Astros overBoston Red Sox (4–2) | |||||||||
| NLCS | Atlanta Braves overLos Angeles Dodgers (4–2) | |||||||||
| World Series program | ||||||||||
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The2021 World Series was the championship series ofMajor League Baseball's (MLB)2021 season. The 117thWorld Series was abest-of-seven playoff between theNational League (NL)championAtlanta Braves and theAmerican League (AL)championHouston Astros. The series began on October 26 and concluded on November 2.
The Braves won the series four games to two. It was their fourth World Series title, their first since1995, and their second in Atlanta—the first time they had won a second title in a city.
The Braves advanced to the World Series after winning theNL East division title. Atlanta then defeated theMilwaukee Brewers in theNL Division Series and theLos Angeles Dodgers in theNL Championship Series. The Astros advanced to the ALDS after winning theAL West. Houston then defeated theChicago White Sox in theAL Division Series and theBoston Red Sox in theAL Championship Series.
The Astros hadhome-field advantage because they had a better regular-season record than the Braves. The series was played in a 2–3–2 format, with the Astros hosting Games 1, 2, and 6 (and 7 if it was necessary); and the Braves hosting Games 3, 4, and 5. The teams split the first two games, which were played atMinute Maid Park in Houston, and the Braves won Games 3 and 4 atTruist Park in Atlanta to take a 3–1 lead. The Astros won Game 5, returning the series to Houston. The Braves won Game 6 to win the World Series.Jorge Soler was awarded theWorld Series Most Valuable Player Award afterbatting .300 in the series withhome runs in three of the Braves victories, each time giving them a lead they would never surrender. This would also be the final World Series where the designated hitter rule was used only in the American League ballpark.
The team with the better regular-seasonwinning percentage, theHouston Astros, hadhome-field advantage in the series, thus hosting Games 1, 2, and 6 (and would have hosted Game 7 if needed).[2]
The Astros and Braves had previously met in the postseason five times, in theNational League Division Series when the Astros competed in the National League.[3] Of those five series, the Braves won three (1997, 1999, and 2001) while the Astros won two (2004 and 2005).[3] The Astros and Braves played in theNational League West from 1969 to 1993.
The teams' jerseys lacked a World Seriespatch for the first time since 1997, though a patch was on theircaps.[4]
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TheAtlanta Braves were managed byBrian Snitker, who joined the organization in 1977 and became their manager in 2016.[5] The Braves qualified for the postseason after winning theNational League East for the fourth straight season.[6] They played four months with a winning percentage at .500 or below before finally surpassing .500 on August 6, the latest point in a season that an eventual league champion achieved a winning record.[7] In the best-of-fiveNational League Division Series, the third-seeded Braves defeated theMilwaukee Brewers in four games.[8] In the best-of-sevenNational League Championship Series (NLCS), the Braves defeated the defending World Series championLos Angeles Dodgers in six games.Left fielderEddie Rosario was namedNLCS MVP after hitting 14-for-25 (.560) with 3 home runs and 9 runs batted in in the series.[9]
This was the Braves' first World Series appearance since1999, tenth in franchise history, and sixth while in Atlanta.[10] The Braves entered the series with three prior World Series titles, one as the Atlanta Braves in1995 and one while based in each of their previous cities of Boston (1914) and Milwaukee (1957).[10]
An Omaha World-Herald employee, Steven Elonich, predicted that the Braves would win the 2021 World Series in an article published in 2018.[11] At that point, the Braves were coming off a three-year stretch that saw 278 combined losses — more than any three-year stretch by the franchise since 1988 through 1990.
Under second-year managerDusty Baker, theHouston Astros qualified for the postseason as theAmerican League West division winner, having finished atop the division for the fourth time in five seasons.[12] In the best-of-fiveAmerican League Division Series, the second-seeded Astros defeated theChicago White Sox in four games.[13] In the best-of-sevenAmerican League Championship Series (ALCS), the Astros defeated theBoston Red Sox in six games,[14] withdesignated hitterYordan Alvarez namedALCS MVP after batting 12-for-23 (.522) in the series.[15] Starting pitcherLance McCullers Jr., who missed the ALCS due to a forearm strain suffered during the ALDS, was omitted from Houston's World Series roster due to that injury.[16]
Baker became the ninth manager to win both American and National League pennants (having won the latter with theSan Francisco Giants in 2002).[17] Baker's gap of 19 years between appearances in the World Series is surpassed only byBucky Harris, who managed in the1925 and1947 editions.[17] At 72 years and 4 months old, Baker became the second-oldest manager in World Series history, the oldest having beenJack McKeon of theFlorida Marlins in2003, who was seven months older.[18] Astros'hitting coachTroy Snitker is the son ofBrian Snitker, the Braves manager.[19] As a player, Baker was drafted by theAtlanta Braves in 1967 and spent seven seasons there.
This was the Astros' third World Series appearance in five years, having appeared in2017 and2019, and fourth overall, having also appeared in2005 when they represented the National League.[10] Their only prior World Series title came in 2017.[10]
Atlanta won the series, 4–2.
| Game | Date | Score | Location | Time | Attendance |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | October 26 | Atlanta Braves – 6, Houston Astros – 2 | Minute Maid Park | 4:06 | 42,825 |
| 2 | October 27 | Atlanta Braves – 2,Houston Astros – 7 | Minute Maid Park | 3:11 | 42,833 |
| 3 | October 29 | Houston Astros – 0,Atlanta Braves – 2 | Truist Park | 3:24 | 42,898 |
| 4 | October 30 | Houston Astros – 2,Atlanta Braves – 3 | Truist Park | 3:45 | 43,125 |
| 5 | October 31 | Houston Astros – 9, Atlanta Braves – 5 | Truist Park | 4:00 | 43,122 |
| 6 | November 2 | Atlanta Braves – 7, Houston Astros – 0 | Minute Maid Park | 3:22 | 42,868 |
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| Team | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | R | H | E | |||||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Atlanta | 2 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 6 | 12 | 1 | |||||||||||||||||||||
| Houston | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 8 | 1 | |||||||||||||||||||||
| WP:A. J. Minter (1–0) LP:Framber Valdez (0–1) Home runs: ATL:Jorge Soler (1),Adam Duvall (1) HOU: None Attendance: 42,825 Boxscore | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
In pregame ceremonies, thenational anthem was performed byKeke Palmer,[20] and theceremonial first pitch was thrown out by former Astro andNational Baseball Hall of Fame inducteeCraig Biggio.[21][22]
Framber Valdez started for Houston while former AstroCharlie Morton started for Atlanta.Jorge Soler led off the World Series with ahome run to left field for a 1–0 Atlanta lead after the first three pitches; he became the first player ever to lead off aWorld Series with a wall-clearing home run.[23] A one-out single byOzzie Albies followed by adouble fromAustin Riley gave the Braves a 2–0 lead. In the bottom of the first, the Astros had thebases loaded with two outs following a single and two walks, but Morton gotKyle Tucker to ground out, ending the threat. Atlanta added a run in the top of the second on two singles, a fly out, and afielder's choice, making it 3–0.Freddie Freeman then singled and Albies beat out an infield grounder, loading the bases with two outs, but Valdez struck out Riley to end the inning. In the top of the third,Eddie Rosario singled, followed by a two-run home run fromAdam Duvall, making it 5–0 Braves and driving Valdez from the game after 52 pitches.[24]
Morton left in the bottom of the third inning with an injury; X-rays later revealed afibular fracture in his right leg, causing him to miss the remainder of the series.[25] The injury stemmed from acomebacker off the bat ofYuli Gurriel in the bottom of the second. It was unclear when Morton's leg was fractured; Braves manager Brian Snitker told reporters that X-rays taken in between innings revealed nothing wrong with Morton, though he said Morton's leg was "stressed." Morton threw 16 pitches following the injury, retiring the next three batters he faced and striking out two.[26]
A. J. Minter was brought into the game;Michael Brantley hit a one-out double to right, but Minter retired the next two batters to end the inning. In the bottom of the fourth inning, Tucker hit a one-out double, advanced to third when Gurriel singled with one out, and scored on a fielder's choice, making it 5–1. In the top of the eighth, after three scoreless innings,Dansby Swanson walked, advanced to third on a single by Soler, and scored on a sacrifice fly by Freeman, extending Atlanta's lead to 6–1. In the bottom of the inning,Yordan Alvarez hit a lead-off triple and then scored on a groundout byCarlos Correa, making the score 6–2. In the bottom of the ninth, AtlantacloserWill Smith allowed only one walk, toAledmys Díaz, as the Braves took a 1–0 lead in the series,[27] their first World Series win since Game 2 in1996, and ending an eight-game losing streak.
| Team | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | R | H | E | |||||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Atlanta | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 7 | 2 | |||||||||||||||||||||
| Houston | 1 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | X | 7 | 9 | 0 | |||||||||||||||||||||
| WP:José Urquidy (1–0) LP:Max Fried (0–1) Home runs: ATL:Travis d'Arnaud (1) HOU:Jose Altuve (1) Attendance: 42,833 Boxscore | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Before the game, Atlanta addedTucker Davidson to their roster in replacement of the injuredCharlie Morton.[28] Giavanni Walker, apetty officer first class in theUnited States Navy, sang the national anthem, and Hall of FamerJeff Bagwell threw the ceremonial first pitch.[22]
Max Fried started for Atlanta whileJosé Urquidy started for Houston.[29] In the bottom of the first inning,Jose Altuve doubled, advanced to third on a flyout byMichael Brantley, and scored on asacrifice fly byAlex Bregman, giving Houston a 1–0 lead. In the top of the second, Atlanta tied the game, 1–1, via a solo home run to left field byTravis d'Arnaud, coming on a full count with two outs. In the bottom of the second, the Astros hit three consecutive one-out singles, retaking the lead, 2–1. With runners on first and second,Martín Maldonado delivered a base hit to the outfield, driving in another run. Braves left fielderEddie Rosario tried to throw outJosé Siri advancing from first to third, but no Braves player was on the base resulting in anerror and allowing Siri to score and making it 4–1. After Altuve lined out, Brantley singled to make it 5–1. In total, the Astros collected four runs on five singles,[30] tying their club record for most hits in an inning in the World Series.[31]
With two outs in the top of the fifth inning,Freddie Freeman delivered an RBI single to left, scoring d'Arnaud and cutting the Astros' lead to 5–2. Houston extended their lead to 6–2 in the sixth on afielder's choice that scoredYordan Alvarez. The final run came in the bottom of the seventh inning, as Altuve homered on the first pitch byDrew Smyly, making it 7–2.[32] It was the 22nd home run of Altuve's postseason career, tying him withBernie Williams for the second-most all-time.[33][a] This was the first victory by the home team in a World Series since2018.[b]
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| Team | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | R | H | E | |||||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Houston | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | |||||||||||||||||||||
| Atlanta | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | X | 2 | 6 | 1 | |||||||||||||||||||||
| WP:Ian Anderson (1–0) LP:Luis García (0–1) Sv:Will Smith (1) Home runs: HOU: None ATL:Travis d'Arnaud (2) Attendance: 42,898 Boxscore | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
In pregame ceremonies, theceremonial first pitch was thrown out by Hank Aaron Jr.,[34] ashis father was honored before the game;[35] the national anthem was performed byZac Brown.[36] This was the first World Series game ever played atTruist Park,[c] and the first played in Atlanta since1999.Ian Anderson started for Atlanta whileLuis García started for Houston, marking the first time two rookie pitchers started against each other in a World Series sinceJustin Verlander andAnthony Reyes opened Game 1 in2006.[37]
After two and a half scoreless innings, the Braves scored on an RBI double byAustin Riley that drove inEddie Rosario in the bottom of the third inning. García was relieved after3+2⁄3 innings, having allowed one run on three hits while striking out six batters. Anderson allowed no hits, three walks, and onehit batsman while striking out four in five innings.[38] The Astros remained hitless through seven innings, asA. J. Minter andLuke Jackson did not allow a hit in the sixth or seventh, respectively.Tyler Matzek started the eighth for the Braves and allowed a bloop single toAledmys Díaz, who was replaced byJosé Siri as a pinch-runner. With two outs, Siristole second and advanced to third on a throwingerror byTravis d'Arnaud, but was left on base asMichael Brantley popped out. In the bottom of the eighth, d'Arnaud hit a solo home run to extend Atlanta's lead to 2–0. That home run was the first time home runs were hit in back-to-back games by the same player sinceRyan Klesko did so in the1995 World Series. d'Arnaud became the first catcher to do this sinceRoy Campanella did so for the Dodgers in the1955 World Series.Will Smith, Atlanta'scloser, pitched in the top of the ninth inning. He allowed a leadoff single toAlex Bregman, then retired the next three batters, giving Atlanta a 2–1 lead in the series.[39] The seven-inningno-hit bid by the Atlanta pitching staff was the longest in a World Series game sinceJim Lonborg of theBoston Red Sox went7+2⁄3 innings before allowing a hit in Game 2 of the1967 World Series.[40][41] This was the first shutout in the World Series sinceGame 3 of the2016 World Series.
| Team | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | R | H | E | |||||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Houston | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 8 | 0 | |||||||||||||||||||||
| Atlanta | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 0 | X | 3 | 8 | 1 | |||||||||||||||||||||
| WP:Tyler Matzek (1–0) LP:Cristian Javier (0–1) Sv:Will Smith (2) Home runs: HOU:Jose Altuve (2) ATL:Dansby Swanson (1),Jorge Soler (2) Attendance: 43,125 Boxscore | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Prior to the game, the Astros replaced backup catcherJason Castro on their roster withGarrett Stubbs, due to COVID-19 protocols.[42] Theceremonial first pitch was thrown out by cancer survivor Elizabeth O’Connor,[43] and the national anthem was performed byJordan Fisher.[36]Zack Greinke started for Houston, whileDylan Lee acted as anopener for Atlanta in his first MLB start.[44][45] Greinke was placed eighth in Houston'sbatting order, the first starting pitcher in a World Series game not to bat ninth sinceBabe Ruth in Game 4 of the1918 World Series.[46]
In the top of the first, Lee allowed a hit toJose Altuve while issuing two walks and recording one strikeout, then was relieved byKyle Wright.[47] Altuve scored on a ground out byCarlos Correa to give the Astros an early 1–0 lead. Altuve hit a solo home run in the top of the fourth to extend Houston's lead to 2–0. It was Altuve's second home run of the series and the second and final one that the Astros would hit. Greinke exited after four innings, having allowed no runs on four hits while striking out three and walking none.[48] In the bottom of the sixth, Atlanta had runners at first and second with one out, via a double and a walk. Houston relieverPhil Maton entered, struck outOzzie Albies, and allowed a hit toAustin Riley that scored a run, cutting the lead to 2–1. After anintentional walk toJoc Pederson thatloaded the bases with two outs, Maton struck outTravis d'Arnaud to end the rally. Back-to-back solo home runs byDansby Swanson andJorge Soler off ofCristian Javier with one out in the bottom of the seventh put Atlanta ahead, 3–2.[49] After a scoreless eighth inning, AtlantacloserWill Smith entered to pitch the top of the ninth. He retired the side for his secondsave in two days, as Atlanta took a 3–1 lead in the series.[50]
| Team | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | R | H | E | |||||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Houston | 0 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 9 | 12 | 0 | |||||||||||||||||||||
| Atlanta | 4 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 5 | 8 | 1 | |||||||||||||||||||||
| WP:José Urquidy (2–0) LP:A. J. Minter (1–1) Home runs: HOU: None ATL:Adam Duvall (2),Freddie Freeman (1) Attendance: 43,122 Boxscore | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Hall of Fame inducteeGreg Maddux threw out theceremonial first pitch, andLauren Alaina performed the national anthem.[36]Framber Valdez started for Houston, whileTucker Davidson started for Atlanta; Davidson had not played in an MLB game since June 15, 2021.[51]
Adam Duvall hit agrand slam for Atlanta with two outs in the bottom of the first inning, the first grand slam in the first inning of a World Series game since1960.[52] The Astros scored two runs in the second inning, with an RBI double byAlex Bregman and asacrifice fly byMartín Maldonado. Houston scored twice more in the top of the third, coming on anerror,walk, double, and ground out, to make it a 4–4 tie game. A solo home run byFreddie Freeman in the bottom of the inning put the Braves back ahead, 5–4. Both managers brought inrelief pitchers during the third inning. The Astros tied the game at 5–5 in the fifth inning when Maldonado drew a walk with the bases loaded, and then scored two more runs on a single byMarwin González to take a 7–5 lead. The Astros added a run in the seventh on an RBI single by Maldonado, and a run in the eighth on an RBI single byCarlos Correa, making it 9–5.Kendall Graveman pitched the final two innings for Houston, holding the four-run lead as the Astros avoided elimination and sent the series back to Houston.[53]
Zack Greinke singled for Houston in the fourth inning as apinch hitter, becoming the first pitcher with a pinch hit in a World Series game sinceJack Bentley of theNew York Giants in1923.[54] Game 5 of the 2021 World Series marked the last game to date in which thedesignated hitter rule was not used. Starting in2022, the National League added the DH permanently.[55] This made Greinke the last pitcher to get a hit in the postseason untilShohei Ohtani did it during the 2025 postseason. Additionally, Freeman's home run in this game is the furthest-hit home run in the World Series since the beginning of distance tracking in 2015, at 460 feet.[56]
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| Team | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | R | H | E | |||||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Atlanta | 0 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 7 | 7 | 1 | |||||||||||||||||||||
| Houston | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 6 | 0 | |||||||||||||||||||||
| WP:Max Fried (1–1) LP:Luis García (0–2) Home runs: ATL:Jorge Soler (3),Dansby Swanson (2),Freddie Freeman (2) HOU: None Attendance: 42,868 Boxscore | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
A "Rally Nun"[d] threw out the ceremonial first pitch, and country music artistCarly Pearce sang the national anthem.[59] Before the game,Johan Camargo replacedEhire Adrianza on the Braves' roster as Adrianza was placed on the paternity list.[60]Luis García started for Houston andMax Fried started for Atlanta. The Braves took a 3–0 lead in the top of the third inning on a single andwalk followed by a towering two-out home run byJorge Soler that leftMinute Maid Park over the raised train tracks in left field.[61] Garcia exited after Soler's home run, having pitched2+2⁄3 innings while striking out three batters. In the top of the fifth, a two-run home run byDansby Swanson followed by a walk then a two-out double byFreddie Freeman extended Atlanta's lead to 6–0. In the top of the seventh, Freeman hit a solo home run with two outs to make it 7–0.Tyler Matzek entered in relief in the bottom of the seventh; Fried allowed no runs on four hits while striking out six batters and walking none in six innings. AtlantacloserWill Smith was brought in to pitch the bottom of the ninth. He allowed a leadoff single toMichael Brantley and retired the next three batters, the last out being aYuli Gurriel infield grounder fielded by Swanson, who threw to Freeman, giving the Braves the title.[62] With this final inning,Will Smith finished off a postseason in which he closed 11 of 16 Braves games while allowing no runs.Jorge Soler was named theWorld Series Most Valuable Player.[63]
With the World Series victory,Joc Pederson became a back-to-back World Series winner on two different teams, joiningJack Morris,Ryan Theriot,Jake Peavy andBen Zobrist as the only players to have accomplished that feat.[64] Pederson had become a fan-favorite throughout his three-month stay in Atlanta, particularly for his preference for wearing pearls.[65]
This was the Braves first time clinching a postseason series on the road since the1999 National League Division, which coincidentally also came against Houston at the now-defunctAstrodome. This was the Braves fourth championship, winning one each in their previous two cities, Boston and Milwaukee, and two in Atlanta.
2021 World Series (4–2):Atlanta Braves beatHouston Astros.
| Team | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | R | H | E | |||||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Atlanta Braves | 6 | 2 | 7 | 0 | 4 | 1 | 3 | 2 | 0 | 25 | 48 | 7 | |||||||||||||||||||||
| Houston Astros | 2 | 6 | 2 | 2 | 3 | 1 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 20 | 45 | 1 | |||||||||||||||||||||
| Home runs: ATL:Jorge Soler (3),Travis d'Arnaud (2),Adam Duvall (2),Freddie Freeman (2),Dansby Swanson (2) HOU:Jose Altuve (2) Total attendance: 257,671 Average attendance: 42,945 Winning player's share: $397,331 Losing player's share: $258,373 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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For the 22nd straight year, the World Series was televised in the United States byFox (including the local affiliatesWAGA-TV in Atlanta andKRIV in Houston).Joe Buck called the games as aplay-by-play announcer, along with Hall of Famer and former Braves pitcherJohn Smoltz ascolor analyst andKen Rosenthal andTom Verducci asfield reporters.[66]Kevin Burkhardt hosted the pregame and postgame shows, joined by analystsFrank Thomas,Alex Rodriguez,David Ortiz, andDontrelle Willis.[66] Game 6 was the final Major League Baseball game that Buck called on Fox and one of the final major sporting events he called on the network (his final broadcast on Fox was the 2021 NFC Championship Game).
MLB International fed the series to broadcasters outside the United States, withScott Braun providing play-by-play andDan Plesac as color commentator.[67] The MLB International feed was produced byMLB Network.[68]
| Game | Ratings (households) | Share (households) | U.S. audience (in millions) | Ref |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 6.1 | 11.08 | [69] | |
| 2 | 5.8 | 10.54 | [70] | |
| 3 | 6.1 | 11.47 | [71] | |
| 4 | 5.65 | 10.78 | [72] | |
| 5 | 7.4 | 13.82 | [72] | |
| 6 | 7.9 | 14.14 | [72] |
Figures are per cited sourcing and subject to revision.
Television ratings for the 2021 World Series were 20% higher than the 2020 World Series in the shortened season.[73] It also averaged a higher rating than the NBA Finals for the second straight year.[74] However, ratings for the 2021 World Series were still below where they had been pre-COVID. Game 6 drew a 33.5 rating and 54% share in the Atlanta market, the highest since Game 4 of the 1999 World Series. It drew a 25.6 rating and a 47% share in the Houston market.[75]
For the 24th consecutive year,ESPN Radio aired the series in the United States, led byDan Shulman on play-by-play withJessica Mendoza andEduardo Pérez as color analysts; Kevin Winter hosted the pregame coverage with analystChris Singleton and reportersBuster Olney andMarly Rivera, while Olney provided in-game reports and conducted postgame interviews.[76][77]
This was the first World Series to be broadcast onTUDN Radio, which had acquired national rights to Spanish-language MLB radio broadcasts in early October.[78] TUDN Radio commentators included Jose Napoles, Jesus Acosta, Alberto Ferreiro, and Luis Quiñones.[79]
The flagship radio stations for both teams also produced local broadcasts of each game. In Atlanta,WCNN andWAOS broadcast in English and Spanish respectively,KBME (in English) andKLAT (in Spanish) aired the games in the Houston market. Outside of those stations, MLB rules dictated that team-affiliated stations carry the ESPN Radio broadcasts of the games.[80]
The much maligned Braves bullpen turned out to be the team's biggest strength during their World Series run. The bullpen was dominant throughout the postseason with the late-inning combination ofWill Smith,Tyler Matzek,Luke Jackson, andA.J. Minter leading the way. Closer Will Smith struggled at times during the regular season having posted a 3.44 ERA, particularly with a 5.40 ERA during the dog days of a closeNL East division race in August. Those struggles however disappeared for Smith in the postseason, as the veteran reliever worked 11 consecutive scoreless innings in October allowing only five hits, three walks, and eight strikeouts with six saves.[81] As it turned out, 2021 would be the last full season the bullpen was together as Smith was traded to Houston at the 2022 trade deadline, Jackson suffered an elbow injury in April 2022, and Matzek had a similar injury before the start of the 2022 postseason in October. Smith would later have his place in World Series history when he became the first player ever to win three consecutive World Series on three separate teams (the Braves in 2021, theHouston Astros in2022, and theTexas Rangers in2023).[82] The media came up with the nicknameThe Night Shift for the bullpen, but Luke Jackson later stated he was the one that came up with the name.[83]
The Braves celebrated their championship with a parade on November 5, with a nods toHenry "Hank" Aaron, the franchise legend who died in January at the age of 86. On their parade route, the Braves stopped throughGeorgia State University'sCenter Parc Stadium complex including the landing spot of Aaron's 715th home run whereAtlanta-Fulton County Stadium used to stand. Once the parade reachedCumberland andTruist Park, the crowd was addressed by Henry's widow, Billye Aaron, in a fitting tribute to the slugger.[84] The Braves honored Hank Aaron during the 2021 season by including his jersey number 44 on the back of the team caps, along with the jersey number 35 in honor ofPhil Niekro, who died one month earlier in December 2020. They also painted 44 in the midfield at Truist Park. Aaron was also honored in the design of the team's World Series championship ring, which includes 755 total diamonds to commemorate Aaron's career home runs, and 44 emerald-cut diamonds to represent Aaron's jersey number with the Braves.[85]
This was the start of three straight National League teams making the World Series with a sub-90 win total. The Phillies in2022 and Diamondbacks in2023 made it to the Fall Classic, but were defeated by an AL team.
Freddie Freeman, who homered in the final two games of the 2021 World Series, would hit a home run in four consecutive games to start the2024 World Series, breaking a record for most consecutive World Series home runs.[86] By 2022, Freeman was on the Dodgers, after leaving Atlanta via free agency after 2021.[87]
Following the conclusion of the season, the Astros lost five players tofree agency:Carlos Correa to theMinnesota Twins,Zack Greinke to theKansas City Royals,Marwin González to theNew York Yankees,Kendall Graveman to theChicago White Sox, andBrooks Raley to theTampa Bay Rays.[88]Justin Verlander was the lone free agent to re-sign with the Astros, returning on a two-year deal with a player option in the second year after missing all of the 2021 season.[89]
On August 2, 2022, the Astros traded starterJake Odorizzi for Braves relieverWill Smith. Smith was the pitcher who recorded the last out of the World Series, making him the first pitcher ever to be traded the following season to the opposing team that he recorded the last out against.[90][91]
The Astros repeated asAmerican League West champions in 2022, their sixth consecutive postseason appearance and fifth division title in six seasons. They swept theSeattle Mariners in theDivision Series and theNew York Yankees in theChampionship Series to return to and win theWorld Series by beating thePhiladelphia Phillies in six games.[92]
This wasJoe Buck's last World Series, after he had called 24 World Series in 26 years (1996, 1998, 2000-2021), the longest run of any play-by-play announcer on network television calling the World Series. Buck and his NFL broadcast partnerTroy Aikman signed a lucrative multi-year deal withESPN, which saw them become the new lead broadcast team ofMonday Night Football beginning in the2022 NFL season.[93] Fox would promote number two play-by-play baseball announcerJoe Davis to replace Buck's spot for the regular season,All-Star, and postseason games. Buck did not call another MLB game until July 29, 2024, when he called aSt. Louis Cardinals home game against theTexas Rangers forBally Sports Midwest alongsideChip Caray.[94] Despite joining ESPN, it was not until 2025 that Buck called his first MLB game for the network, anOpening Day game between theMilwaukee Brewers andNew York Yankees.[95]
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