World Series Game One, 2021

Posted on by

Braves at Astros, 5:09 PM PDT, TV: Fox

The Braves send out righthander Charlie Morton (Postseason 0-1, 3.77 ERA), who’s got World Series experience with the Astros (2017) and the Rays (2020). He’ll face the Astros’ lefthander Framber Valdez (Postseason 1-0, 4.20 ERA). He had the longest outing of any starter this postseason on any team: eight innings of three-hit ball against the Red Sox in Game Five of the ALCS. This will be his first World Series.

I’m no fan of the Braves and their loathsome “tomahawk chop” and chant, but my disdain for the Houston Astros can be measured in metric tons, so I guess I’m very mildly rooting for the Atlanta team.

Addendum: Here’s what a guy at Deadspin says about these teams after making suggestions to improve the playoff system:

In the meantime, enjoy the baseball being played by two very good teams who were not the best in baseball this year but earned their way to the World Series. There’s no good rooting option — it’s the cheaters (yes, we’re still for Dusty Baker getting a ring) against the racists (yes, Freddie Freeman seems like a real good dude, and Tyler Matzek is a fantastic story, and so is Eddie Rosario, and not everyone who roots for that team is a racist, but seriously, we’ve been hearing the Chop for 30 years despite it being called out for what it is FROM THE JUMP — oh, and they had anti-vaxxer Travis Tritt sing the national anthem on Saturday) — but the games should be good.

Lineups when available.

Braves:

Astros:

38 thoughts on “World Series Game One, 2021”

  4. The good thing about the Braves beating the Astros in Houston is… no chop chant! Meanwhile, Soler back and on fire.

  5. Forced to choose between one franchise of COVID-friendly racists and another of unrepentant cheaters, I have concluded that this is the Deplorable Series.

    Next year, MLB will need to redeem itself.

    • I’m still indifferent toward the Deplorable Series, but it might be somewhat fun if the Barves swept every game in Houston and lost every game in Cobb County, so that both the choppers and Asterisks fans would have to keep their mouths shut.

  10. My Crome book is not charging and I am a few minutes away from being without any minures. Lap top too big to use for commenting so maybe I’ll check in on my phone.

  13. I have officially canceled the SlingTV account I used for the post-season. That will be my contribution to making this the lowest-rated Series ever.

  15. Dodger free agents: Scherzer, Kershaw, Seager, Taylor, Jansen, Kelly and Pujols. If you could sign only three, and money was not a factor, which ones would you sign? Who would you definitely not sign?

    • I’d make very strong efforts to sign Scherzer, Kershaw and Seager. Taylor would be next on my list. Jansen and Kelly are replaceable relievers. If the DH is part of the NL next season then I’d look at Albert, but even then he’s not hitting righthanders much anymore, and there are a lot of them. He’d be a stretch.

    • I’d like all of them, but Kelly and Pujols are the most fungible. If the latter is available at modest cost, he’s still a decent bench piece. CT3 seems likely to go for a full-time gig elsewhere, as Quique did. Kershaw should remain a lifetime Dodger, along with Kenley, but I do also want Scherzer and Seager.