World Series Game 4: Houston Astros 2-3 Atlanta Braves – as it happened

Final thoughts

It’s just a frustrating thing, it would seem, to outplay the competition and yet still get beat. The Astros lost on two bad pitches in the midst of what was mostly a really impressive performance from their pitching staff.

Yet, the Braves deserve this win. They did a lot of bending, but they didn’t break. It’s not how many baserunners you allow, it’s how few you let score.

Tomorrow the 3-1 Braves have a chance to clinch a championship at home while the 1-3 Astros are going to be fighting for the playoff survival. We will continue to cover the 2021 World Series here at the Guardian but this will, however, end our live coverage of Game 4. Thanks to all who followed along with us today, especially everybody who chipped in. Ciao!

The Houston Astros had plenty of offensive chances but they couldn’t cash enough of them in. The Atlanta Braves took advantage and now they’re heading into tomorrow’s Game 5 with a chance to clinch a championship!

Astros 2-3 Braves, FINAL

The Houston Astros’ last chance here. It’s Alvarez, and he takes a strike. 0-1. The next pitch? Another strike. He’s already down 0-2 and hasn’t moved the bat. Will Smith wastes one. It’s nothing doing, it takes it for a ball. 1-2. The next pitch is real inside, 2-2. Alvarez fouls the next pitch off. Still 2-2. He hits a slow roller to the bag and that will do it. The Atlanta Braves are one win away from winning the World Series!

Astros 2-3 Braves, Top 9th

I still feel extra innings in our future, but we’ll see. Will Smith is up to close this game out and also weather a few Fresh Prince references. He’s facing Michael Brantley, who takes ball one. Next pitch, he can’t quite check his swing. 1-1. The next pitch, he fouls off. 1-2. Smith’s next pitch, that’s too low. 2-2. All sliders according to my trusty ESPN.com play-by-play. Brantley fouls the next off, still 2-2.

John Smoltz does some really, really boring “closer mentality” commentary here. Be glad you missed it.

Smith’s next pitch is outside. 3-2. Full count. Smith’s next pitch: an astounding spinning strike that takes out Brantley. And Bregman pops up the second he gets to the plate. Two down!

Astros 2-3 Braves, Bottom 8th

Adam Duvall is here as Atlanta’s best chance for an insurance run (or three). Pressly’s first pitch is outside. 1-0. The next… is popped up. The Astros have three more outs to finagle at least one run.

Astros 2-3 Braves, Bottom 8th

Two on, one out. Pressly is still in the game—can’t imagine he’s going to be available in tomorrow’s Game 5—and is facing d’Arnaud. He gets him to pop up on 2-1, but it’s foul and out of play. 2-2. He then swings and misses. Make that: two on, two out.

Astros 2-3 Braves, Bottom 8th

Joc Pederson is up next, he falls into a 0-2 hole but, well, the Astros should know that these hitters are still dangerous even when they’re on the cusp of striking out. Pederson fouls one off. Stayin’ alive. Another foul ball. Still breathing. Still 0-2. And another foul. 0-2 Count Eternal.

Finally, something gives as Pressly finally throws a ball that Pederson doesn’t foul off. 1-2. Oh man, Pressly uncorks a breaking ball that hits Pederson on the feet. He takes his base but is lifted for a pinch-runner. Wait, the Braves had anybody left to go to? Ah, it turns out to be Guillermo Heredia.

Astros 2-3 Braves, Bottom 8th

Pressly vs. Riley, with Albies at first. Pressly is a bit focused on Albies’s potential to steal a base, but not enough that he doesn’t get Riley with a k.

Astros 2-3 Braves, Bottom 8th

Pressly is facing Albies here and falls behind 2-0. Albies fouls the next one off. 2-1. And the next one. 2-2. The next pitch, outside. Full count.

And he takes ball four. A leadoff walk for the Braves.

Now, this is all I can see.

Astros 2-3 Braves, Top 8th

Maldonado is up next and he works a full count just to strike out at the end. Here’s Houston today: they’ve been the better team in every aspect of the game except for the one where they score more runs.

And there you go: Altuve hits a loud booming shot that looks like it should be extra basses but Rosario runs it down and makes a fantastic catch to convert it into the inning’s final out.

Astros 2-3 Braves, Top 8th

Wow all of those missed opportunities to score earlier in the game certainly look really bad now, don’t they? (Note: They also looked bad then.) Okay, top of the 8th: Luke Jackson is pitching for Atlanta, Aledmys Diaz is pinch-hitting for Houston, the organist is playing “The Imperial Death March.”

Jackson thinks he has Diaz struck out on a check-swing on a called ball. He has not. At 3-2, he fouls off the next pitch. 3-2. He fouls off the next pitch. 3-2. An eight-pitch at-bat so far, very professional. Make that nine, he fouls off another one. He then hits a lazy fly for the first out of the inning.

Yes but I also heard “Seven Nation Army,” so I had to subtract points.

Astros 2-3 Braves, Bottom 7th

Freeman faces Pressly with clear bases and two outs. That’s the good news for Houston, the bad news was the manner in which they became clear. Pressly does his job, striking out Freeman. Now the Astros have six outs here to avoid heading to the edge of elimination.

Astros 2-3 Braves, Bottom 7th

Ryan Pressly is facing Rosario here for the second out of the inning.

Astros 2-3 Braves, Bottom 7th

Alvarez put in a good run for that home run but it was tantalizingly out of reach. Meanwhile, Dusty Baker is removing Javier and heading to his bullpen in a double-switch.

Astros 2-3 Braves, Bottom 7th

I hope you’re all ready for extra innings because that’s where we’re going from here. Everything in my bones is screaming this at me. Jorge Soler, however, is here pinch-hitting and he would like to just give Atlanta a lead and not have to worry about that.

HE DOES SO! HE HITS A HOME RUN TOO!

(This is suboptimal for Houston.)

Astros 2-2 Braves, Bottom 7th

Next up is Swanson, who falls down 0-2 in a blink. The next pitch heads into the stands, but those behind the foul line. Still 0-2. AND THEN SWANSON HITS A HOME RUN! WE ARE TIED!

Astros 2-1 Braves, Bottom 7th

Christian Javier is our new Houston pitcher. He gets a strikeout here to start the bottom of the seventh.

Seventh inning stretch

I figure if we’re in Georgia, a bluegrass rendition wouldn’t be inappropriate.

Astros 2-1 Braves, Top 7th

Gurriel is up and he’s not getting a free pass this time. Well, not intentionally at least, as he takes ball one. The next pitch, that’s a strike. He gets a good swing on the next pitch but that’s just a particularly loud out (it briefly fools Joe Buck, let the record show). To the seventh-inning stretch!

Astros 2-1 Braves, Top 7th

Kyle Tucker is up next and, nope, no 1-2-3 inning for a Braves pitcher. He hits a single to leftfield.

Astros 2-1 Braves, Top 7th

Carlos Correa is up next and he also promptly grounds out.

Astros 2-1 Braves, Top 7th

Tyler Matzek is pitching. Yordan Alvarez is hitting. It would now be time for the Astros to have that big inning they really should have already had. On 1-2, Alvarez… grounds out, as routine as you’ll ever see.

Astros 2-1 Braves, Bottom 6th

That was a sign of sheer disrespect to d’Arnaud, who has a chance to make Houston pay. Maton’s first pitch is a ball. The next pitch, d’Arnaud swings and gets nothing. 1-1. Same deal the next time around. 1-2. He fouls the next one off to stay alive. The fans do the chanting again and again their hitter strikes out immediately afterward, leaving the bases loaded.

This amuses me.

Astros 2-1 Braves, Bottom 6th

The Astros want to check whether they successfully tagged Riley at second. The review confirms the initial safe call, which is 100% correct. The Astros are going to walk Pederson here with first base open.

Astros 2-1 Braves, Bottom 6th

Austin Riley in here to see if he can be the Braves’ breakthrough bat. He falls into a 1-2 count, meaning Houston are a strike away from snuffing out Atlanta’s attempted rally. Riley checks his swing on a ball. 2-2.

AND HE GETS A BASE HIT! A runner scores and everybody’s safe on the bases.

Astros 2-0 Braves, Bottom 6th

Ozzie Albies is at the plate. Phil “Auto” Maton on the mound. This might be the key inning for Houston, pitching-wise. Albies fouls off pitch one. 0-1. The next pitch is a ball. 1-1. Albies takes a big old swing for strike two. 1-2. Maton’s next two pitches are both outside. Full count, a pitch away from loading the bases. The Astros were in a similar position earlier in this game, couldn’t cash in. Can the Braves?

Albies SWINGS… and fouls one off. Still 3-2. Tension time again and here come those chants and the Baseball Gods award those chanting fans by having their guy strike out here for the second out.

Astros 2-0 Braves, Bottom 6th

Look for Freeman to be aggressive here with a golden scoring catch in front of them, with just one out too. Freeman swings at Raley’s first offering, strike one. 1-0. Riley throws two outside, putting him right into a hitter’s count. The next pitch is outside as well. That’s 3-1, which is like a super-bonus-hitter’s count. Freeman however takes the next pitch for a strike. 3-2. Freeman fouls off the next pitch and then takes ball four.

So now it’s two on, one out. Manager Dusty Baker has had enough of Raley here. To the bullpen, he goes.

Astros 2-0 Braves, Bottom 6th

Rosario is up now and he hits a ringing double and man did the Braves need that. As dominant as the Astros have looked all game, this is just a two-run game.

Astros 2-0 Braves, Bottom 6th

The wheel in the pen keeps on turning… Brooks Raley is pitching for Houston. He will be facing in the pitcher’s spot, which will be occupied by Orlando Arcia, who promptly lines out.

Astros 2-0 Braves, Top 6th

However, Bregman grounds out on one pitch, so that’s as good as a 1-2-3 inning in my book.

Astros 2-0 Braves, Top 6th

Michael Brantley is up here and, well the Braves just can’t get a clean frame here ever, he hits a single. Two outs, one on.