What we're covering
- The Houston Astros defeated the Atlanta Braves in Game 2 of the World Series
- Final Score: HOU: 7 ATL: 2
- W: J. Urquidy (1-0) L: M. Fried (0-1)
The Houston Astros take Game 2 of the 2021 World Series. The Astros’ bats came alive tonight as the home team put up seven runs on nine hits to even the series.?
Houston pulled ahead early in the second inning, putting up four runs after the Braves tied the game 1-1. The Astros never relinquished the lead for the rest of the night.
Houston starter Jose Urquidy put in a strong performance, striking out seven in five innings of work. He gets the win. Atlanta’s starter Max Fried— who struck out six while giving up six runs — takes the loss for the Braves.
The Astros’ Jose Altuve led the offensive attack with a homer and double on the night, a nice bounce-back by the star second baseman who went 0-for-5 in Game 1.
Altuve moved into a tie for second place for the most home runs in postseason history when he hit a solo shot in the bottom of the seventh inning. Altuve now has 22 postseason home runs in his career, tying him on the all-time list with Bernie Williams. Manny Ramirez (29) has the most.
The series shifts to Georgia and will resume Friday, with Games 3, 4 and 5 at Truist Park. Former president Donald Trump plans to attend Game 4 on Saturday, a person close to Trump tells CNN.
If necessary, Games 6 and 7 will be in Houston.
The Houston Astros tied the series 1-1 after their win over the Atlanta Braves on Wednesday. Take a look at the schedule for the rest of the best-of-seven series.
All of the games will begin at 8:09 p.m. ET, except for Game 5, which will begin at 8:15 p.m. ET. The games will all be shown on TV by Fox.
Last chance for the Braves coming up. The visitors trail Houston 7-2 going into the final frame.
Houston Astros leadoff man Jose Altuve took Braves reliever Drew Smyly deep in the bottom of 7th.
That’s a double and a homer tonight for Altuve, who went 0-for-5 in Game 1.
It was Altuve’s 22nd career postseason home run. He has now tied Bernie Williams for 2nd place all-time in MLB postseason homers.
We’re heading to the bottom of the 7th in Houston.
Braves came up empty again in the top half of the inning. Dansby Swanson got on with a one-out walk. Phil Maton came into the game to relieve Cristian Javier. He got Eddie Rosario to pop up.?
Rosario’s 11-game hitting streak is in danger of coming to an end.
A Freddie Freeman groundout ended the inning. Astros are coming up with a four-run lead, 6-2.
A critical call at second base briefly put the Astros on the cusp of breaking the game open in the bottom of the 6th. With runners on first and third and one out, Astros first baseman Yuli Gurriel hit a chopper to shortstop Dansby Swanson, who appeared to throw in time for a force out at second base to Ozzie Albies. But the Braves’ second baseman missed the catch, and Astros right fielder Kyle Tucker was ruled safe. The call was upheld after a Braves challenge, even after the Fox broadcast booth predicted that Tucker would be called out.
Albies was charged with an error, a run scored on the play, and the Astros, with runners on second and third following a successful double steal, were on the cusp of a big inning.
But Braves reliever Dylan Lee struck out Jose Siri for the second out, and RHP Jesse Chavez came on to retire catcher Martin Maldonado to limit the damage.
6-2 Astros after 6.
That’s a wrap for Max Fried.
The Braves’ superb lefty leaves after walking designated hitter Yordan Alvarez and allowing a single to shortstop Carlos Correa, putting runners at 1st and 2nd with nobody out in the 6th.
LHP Dylan Lee is now on in a big spot.
It’s a disappointing evening for Fried, who, after a rough start, appeared to have righted the ship for three innings before the Astros’ attack here in the 6th.
5-2 Astros in the bottom of the 6th.
After a rough start — five runs through the first two innings — Braves starter Max Fried has since settled in nicely, hurling three straight scoreless frames. That’s a big deal after a night in which the Braves had to reach deep into their bullpen to use four relievers following the injury to starter Charlie Morton.
5-2 Astros through five.
Right-handed pitcher Cristian Javier has come into the game in relief for the Astros in the sixth inning.
He replaces Astros starter Jose Urquidy, who had a nice outing. Urquidy had seven strikeouts on 74 pitches in five innings of work.
Former President Donald Trump plans to attend Game 4 of the World Series at Truist Park in Atlanta on Saturday, a person close to Trump told CNN.?
Atlanta Braves CEO Terry McGuirk told USA Today on Wednesday that Trump will not be sitting with team or MLB officials and that the Braves will give Trump his own suite.
Some context: Trump attended the World Series in?2019 at Nationals Park in Washington, DC, when the Nationals were hosting the Astros in Game 5.
A leadoff single in the top of the 5th by Braves catcher Travis d’Arnaud, who advanced to second on a wild pitch and then to third after a groundout by Eddie Rosario, leads to an Atlanta run after Freddie Freeman’s 2-out RBI single.?
5-2 Astros midway through the 5th.
Jose Urquidy is dealing for Houston in Game 2 of the World Series.
So far, he’s struck out six Braves batters through four strong innings.
Astros lead 5-1 heading to the bottom of the 4th.
Houston breaks it open against Max Fried in the second.
Kyle Tucker reached on a one-out single then the American League batting champ Yuli Gurriel singled up the middle to advance Tucker to third.
Tucker scored on an infield single by the next man up, Jose Siri.
But then, chaos erupted after Martin Maldonado hit a single to shallow left. Gurriel scored and Siri scored on a throwing error by the Braves.
Michael Brantley drove Maldonado in with a single to right.
Houston up 5-1 after two innings.
Braves catcher Travis d’Arnaud tied the game in the top of the second with a blast over the left field wall.
Houston starter Jose Urquidy has looked good so far with four early strikeouts but d’Arnaud got the best of him with that shot.
We’re all square in Houston. Heading to the bottom of the second.
Houston’s Jose Altuve led off the bottom of the first with a double off Atlanta left-hander Max Fried.
Michael Brantley advanced Altuve to third with a deep fly to center.
Alex Bregman drove Altuve in with another fly ball to center.
Houston takes its first lead of the series.
The Houston starter struck out the first two batters of the night then Ozzie Albies reached first on a trickler down the third baseline.
The next batter up, Austin Riley, slapped one the other way to make it two on, two out.
Urquidy got Atlanta outfielder Jorge Soler to go down swinging to end the threat.
Astros coming up in the bottom half of the first.
Play ball! World Series Game 2 is officially underway at Houston’s Minute Maid Park.
Jose Urquidy is starting tonight for the home team. The right-hander faces Eddie Rosario, Freddie Freeman and Ozzie Albies at the top of the visiting Atlanta Braves’ lineup.
Just how good were the Atlanta hitters in Game 1? Everyone in the starting lineup for the Braves had a hit last night.
Meanwhile, the Astros will look to return to the hitting form they had during the ALCS when they beat up on the Boston Red Sox pitchers to advance to the World Series.
Take a look at tonight’s lineups for each squad:
Atlanta Braves:
Houston Astros:
Leading 1-0 in the best-of-seven series, the Atlanta Braves will send lefty Max Fried out to the mound to start Game 2 of the World Series.
Houston right-hander Jose Urquidy will look to have a better outing than Astros Game 1 starter Framber Valdez, who was bounced from the game after giving up five runs in just over 2+ innings of work.
Houston Mayor Sylvester Turner and Atlanta Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms have made a friendly wager on the World Series between the Houston Astros and the Atlanta Braves, according to both mayors’ offices.?
If the Astros lose the World Series, Houston’s mayor would wear a Braves jersey and if the Braves lose, Bottoms would wear an Astros jersey, according to the news release from the Houston mayor’s office.
If the Braves lose, Bottoms would also “send Mayor Turner some award-winning peach cobbler from the historic Paschal’s restaurant, a case of Mayor Bottoms’ favorite Cherry Coke Zero, beer from Best End Brewing Company, and a hammer from Home Depot in honor of Atlanta’s home run hero Hammering ‘Hank’ Aaron,” her office said in a news release.
The Atlanta Braves defeated the Houston Astros in Game 1 of the World Series, 6-2.
The Braves got on top of the Astros early, scoring a quick five runs off Houston starter Framber Valdez. The Astros’ left-hander was knocked out of the game in just the third inning after a disappointing outing.
Atlanta starter Charlie Morton looked good early but took a rocket comebacker off the bat of Yuli Gurriel to the shin in the second inning, breaking his fibula. Morton actually stayed in the game until the next inning and left after striking out Jose Altuve. The Braves announced that he will miss the rest of the series.
After Morton was forced to exit, the Braves bullpen went to work, keeping the Astros potent lineup mostly at bay for the rest of the game.?
Game 2 is set for Wednesday night at Minute Maid Park in Houston. The first pitch is scheduled for 8:09 p.m. ET.