For the first time in more than two decades, the Atlanta Braves are headed back to the World Series.
The Braves, thanks to yet another hot night from Eddie Rosario, closed out the Los Angeles Dodgers with a 4-2 win in Game 6 of the National League Championship Series at Truist Park.
Atlanta will now advance to its first World Series since 1999.
Eddie Rosario lifts Braves past Dodgers
Austin Riley put Atlanta on the board in the first inning after hitting a deep shot to left field that one-hopped over the wall and sent Ozzie Albies in for a 1-0 lead.
It took until the fourth for the Dodgers to respond, but Cody Bellinger did just that. Bellinger hit an RBI single to left field that sent Trea Turner in to tie up the game.
That, though, didn’t last long. In the bottom of the inning with two outs, Rosario drilled a three-run homer off Dodgers pitcher Walker Buehler to put the Braves right back on top.
That hit marked his 14th of the NLCS, a franchise record, and his third home run. The NLCS MVP’s 14 hits also tied the Major League Baseball record for most hits in a single postseason series.
The Dodgers had a shot to get back into the game in the seventh, after A.J. Pollock hit a double and cut the Braves’ lead down by one with no outs.
But Atlanta, after pulling Luke Jackson and replacing him with Tyler Matzek on the mound, somehow escaped the inning without any more damage done.
Matzek cruised through the eighth inning with three quick outs, too. And though the Dodgers stopped a dangerous Atlanta showing in the bottom of the inning, they couldn’t get anything in the ninth. Will Smith grabbed three quick outs himself to end the game and close out the series 4-2.
The Braves last made it to the World Series in 1999, though they were swept that year by the New York Yankees. They last won the title over Cleveland in 1995 and made it back to the series in 1996, but they fell to the Yankees then, too.
The Braves will next take on the Houston Astros, who finished off the Boston Red Sox in the ALCS on Friday night. Game 1 of that series is set for Tuesday night.
This post will be updated with more information shortly.