Freddie Freeman #5 of the Atlanta Braves hugs manager Brian Snitker #43 during Game 1 of the 2021 World Series betwixt the Atlanta Braves and the Houston Astros astatine Minute Maid Park connected Tuesday, October 26, 2021 successful Houston, Texas. (Photo by Mary DeCicco/MLB Photos via Getty Images)
Truist Park takes halfway signifier contiguous arsenic the World Series shifts from Houston to Atlanta, with the Braves and the Astros looking to interruption the deadlock.
Tied astatine a crippled apiece pursuing Wednesday night’s dominant 7-2 Astros win — lit up by the ferocious pitching of right-hander José Urquidy — the Braves volition beryllium looking to capitalize connected location vantage for Games 3, 4 and 5.
Home of the Braves since 2017, manager Brian Snitker expects the 41,000-seat capableness Truist Park — the crown jewel of The Battery Atlanta amusement territory — to beryllium “wild” travel archetypal pitch.
“It’s been really, truly good, from the archetypal twelvemonth that we played here,” Snitker said during Thursday’s off-day.
“It’s a bully merchandise — an breathtaking team, a amusive squad to watch. I deliberation the full Battery, Truist Park conception and each led to this being a truly amusive spot to travel and ticker a game. It’s chaotic successful here.
“It has been each twelvemonth really. We’ve had large crowds from the opening of opening things up again. I didn’t see, but they said adjacent the past mates of nights it’s conscionable packed successful the Battery, and I cognize 1 of the coach’s wives that couldn’t marque the travel said she cracked her doorway and felt similar we were playing the crippled here.
“It’s an breathtaking spot to play, to beryllium at. It volition beryllium chaotic tomorrow.”
Ian Anderson — the Braves’ Game 3 starting pitcher — echoed his manager’s excitement.
“I cognize that determination hasn’t been a World Series crippled present for rather immoderate clip now,” Anderson said.
“It’s decidedly an grant to beryllium starting the crippled time night. I deliberation keeping my emotions successful cheque and benignant of conscionable taking it each successful is going to beryllium a large factor.”
“It’s been awesome. We’ve benignant of taken it connected arsenic an identity, and the fans and you guys and the media excessively person played a large portion successful that. I deliberation the fans are excited. I deliberation Atlanta sports fans are ever into this clip of year.
“We’ve had immoderate success, the teams and the metropolis person had immoderate success. So we’re looking to get it done for them.”
‘Human quality is to overreact’
Meanwhile, for seasoned Astros manager Dusty Baker, the cardinal is to enactment emotion to 1 side.
Now into his 24th play arsenic manager, Baker is looking for a archetypal title ringing that has eluded him frankincense far, contempt taking each 5 teams helium has coached to the playoffs.
Having fallen to a 6-2 decision successful Game 1 astatine Minute Maid Park, the crushing triumph connected location ungraded for Game 2 volition springiness Baker assurance up of tonight’s game, arsenic the Astros question to repetition their 2017 World Series triumph.
“I deliberation quality quality is to overreact, personally. It’s benignant of short-sighted and you conscionable spot the feeling that you person astatine the moment,” Baker said.
“Right now, what is it, champion 3 retired of 5 now? We went from champion 4 retired of 7 — now, it’s champion 3 retired of five.
“That’s however you’ve got to look astatine it, whether you suffer 3 still, you’ve got to triumph four.”
Finned foresight
Human quality whitethorn beryllium to overreact, but seemingly dolphin quality is to foretell — Clearwater Aquarium’s dolphin Nick has chosen the Braves to instrumentality the World Series.
A rescue dolphin astatine the Florida-based aquarium since 2002, Nick has etched his sanction into the ever-proliferating database of sports-predicting animals by forecasting large sporting events with admirable accuracy since 2017.
He went 5-1 successful his archetypal play with close calls connected the College Football National Championship, Super Bowl, NCAA Basketball Championship, Stanley Cup and the World Series — correctly picking nary different than the Houston Astros.
Ominously for the Astros this clip around, Nick began the twelvemonth with 4 consecutive close predictions, though they volition instrumentality bosom from an erroneous prime of the Kansas City Chiefs for the Super Bowl.
Is the flippered phenom an heir to Paul the Octopus? Only clip volition tell. Game 3 is contiguous astatine 8:09 p.m. ET.
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