On Sunday, October 18th, the Los Angeles Dodgers defeated the Atlanta Braves 4-3 at the Globe Life Field in the National League Championship Series (NLCS). This resulted in their advancement to the World Series where they set to face the American League champions: the Tampa Bay Rays.

After the Dodgers tied up the series in Game 6, Game 7 would determine which team would move onto the World Series. In the first few innings, the game leaned in favor of the Atlanta Braves. Their momentum took off when Marcell Ozuna singled on a sharp ground ball to left field, bringing Ronald Acuña Jr. home. His run put the Braves ahead 1-0 in the first inning. In the second inning, Dansby Swanson knocked one out of the park with a solo home run.

In the matter of a couple of innings, the Braves led 2-0. 

In the bottom of the third inning, Braves’ rookie pitcher, Ian Anderson, gave up two runs with Will Smith’s single, tying the game at two runs each. Luckily for the Braves, they took back the lead when Austin Riley scored in Ozzie Albies, making the score 3-2. However, after two innings, Los Angeles tied up the game. Dodgers’ Enrique Hernández blasted a solo home run in the bottom of the sixth inning. The game was now 3-3. 

In the bottom of the seventh, the Dodgers’ Cody Bellinger hit a solo home run, pulling Los Angeles ahead of Atlanta, 4-3. Unfortunately for the Braves, it would remain this way for the rest of the game, as the Dodgers’ pitching stifled the Braves’ bats. At the end of the game, the Dodgers exploded with excitement and danced around the Globe Life Field, celebrating what would be their third World Series appearance in four years.

DODGERS ADVANCE TO THE WORLD SERIES 👏

Hold off Braves in Game 7, 4-3 pic.twitter.com/pLYfr12IGs

— Bleacher Report (@BleacherReport) October 19, 2020

Before the postseason started, many picked the Dodgers to win the World Series. As the favorites, the Dodgers cruised through the first two rounds of the playoffs, beating the Milwaukee Brewers in two games and eliminating the San Diego Padres in three games. It seemed as if the road to the World Series couldn’t get any easier. Before Game 1 of the NLCS even began, baseball fans believed that the Dodgers would dominate their opponent, the Braves. But after losing the first two games in the series and then facing a 3-1 series deficit after four games, the Dodgers faced the brink of elimination. The chances of a comeback were close to 0. 

With the help of the Braves’ miscues, clutch hitting from Will Smith and Corey Seager, and defensive gems from Cody Bellinger and Mookie Betts, the Dodgers proceeded to win Games 5 and 6. The momentum had shifted to the Dodgers’ side, and Game 7 was merely a microcosm of the shift. After trailing 2-0 early, Will Smith drove in two runs with a single in the third inning to tie the game. In the sixth inning, now trailing 3-2, Enrique Hernández hit a home run to tie it once more, and in the seventh, Cody Bellinger put the Dodgers ahead for good with a solo shot of his own. Two innings later, pitcher Julio Urías quieted the Braves’ bats, getting the final three outs, and the Dodgers won the game and the series, coming back from their rough start.

On the other hand, everyone doubted that the Braves could win the World Series, let alone make the postseason. However, during the regular season, they achieved a respectable 35-25 record, earning a ticket to the playoffs. They, like the Dodgers, coasted through the first two rounds of the playoffs, defeating the Cincinnati Reds in two games and filleting the Miami Marlins in three games. In the next round, the NLCS, the Braves had to face a formidable foe in the Los Angeles Dodgers. On paper, the Braves’ roster looked underwhelming compared to that of the Dodgers, and with the Braves having a pitching staff of young and inexperienced pitchers, it was no wonder why many did not expect them to overcome the Los Angeles powerhouse. 

Through the first four games, the Braves quickly took a 3-1 series lead against the best team in baseball, putting their opponent on the brink of elimination. However, this lead may have caused them to grow complacent, as they gave up countless runs in Games 5, 6, and 7, and they only scored a combined seven runs during those games. With the NLCS wrapped up, the Braves exceeded many people’s expectations by taking the Dodgers to seven games albeit dropping three straight games.

Although the Atlanta Braves fell short of the World Series title, the team made history for the city of Atlanta, reaching the NLCS for the first time since 2001. Now eliminated, the Braves will attempt to revamp their roster over the offseason and take their shot at a World Series title next season.