The 2021 Atlanta Braves did the improbable, winning the franchise’s first World Series title in 26 years in six games over the Houston Astros. Coming into the postseason, no one outside of Atlanta thought the squad that won just 88 games in the regular season would come out on top. Not only did the Braves do just that, but the team did it in dominating fashion. The clinching Game 6 was never close, a contest the Braves absolutely dominated in 7-0 fashion.
After losing in Game 5 in Atlanta, the Braves were forced to head back to Houston for Game 6. Starter Max Fried took the mound after a disappointing performance in Game 2 in which he allowed six runs in just five innings. In Game 6 Fried was feeling it and dealing, though. He allowed just four hits in six dominant innings, setting the stage for the Braves sizzling offense to shine.
The second home run of the Braves’ World Series-clinching barrage came in the fifth inning with the Braves maintaining a 3-0 lead. Shortstop Dansby Swanson cushioned the Braves lead and made the Astros’ deficit nearly insurmountable when he plated another pair of runs on a 411-foot blast. You could almost hear the wind get sucked out of the stadium as Swanson joyfully trotted around the bases.
Swanson is an Atlanta-area native, growing up 10 miles from where Truist Park now stands in Marietta, Georgia. He grew up rooting for the Atlanta professional sports teams, including the Braves. Swanson was drafted by the Arizona Diamondbacks in 2015 before being traded to his hometown Braves in December of that year. He has played for the franchise since making his MLB debut in 2016 and made his mark on the franchise’s first title since he was one year old.