Jorge Soler smashed a home run to open the World Series, helping the Atlanta Braves to a Game 1 victory over the Houston Astros, 6-2.
It is the Braves’ first win in the World Series since Oct. 21, 1996. They now have a 1-0 series lead with Game 2 Wednesday night in Houston.
We’ll have LIVE Team 2 coverage from Houston and Atlanta all week on Channel 2 Action News.
The Braves designated hitter became the first batter to lead off the top of the first inning of Game 1 of the World Series with a home run.
It was Soler’s first start following a positive COVID-19 test on Oct. 14. He returned to the Braves before Game 5 of the NLCS but didn’t start.
“I didn’t know that was a thing until I was told a little later on in the game,” Soler said about his accomplishment.
[PHOTOS: Braves beat Astros 6-2 to win World Series Game 1]
The Braves added a second run in the first inning when Austin Riley doubled to score Ozzie Albies.
Soler drove in another run in the second inning, hitting into a fielder’s choice that scored Travis d’Arnaud.
Adam Duvall hit a two-run home run in the third inning to make it 5-0. After the Astros made it a 5-2 game, Dansby Swanson added a final insurance run on a sacrifice fly by Freddie Freeman.
“I think we obviously swung the bats there early pretty well, and doing that on the road, kind of getting them first at-bat jitters out of the way, it’s big,” Duvall said.
But Atlanta took a big hit for the rest of the World Series.
Braves officials confirmed that pitcher Charlie Morton will be out for the rest of the World Series with a right fibula fracture. He would have been scheduled to pitch again in Game 5.
Morton was hit on the leg by Yuli Gurriel’s grounder leading off the second inning. He stayed in the game and still got the Braves three more outs on a broken leg.
“Just the fact that he wanted to keep going. They were X-Raying him. That’s Charlie,” Braves manager Brian Snitker said. “He wants to be on this stage. God bless him, I hate it for him. Really hate it for him. He’s such a great person, great person and teammate.”
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A.J. Minter came on to pitch for Atlanta following Morton’s injury.
Minter pitched 2.2 innings, allowed three hits, struck out three and gave up one earned run.
Minter threw 43 pitches, his most in five big league seasons.
“That was huge what A.J. pulled down. He did it for us last year in the NLCS, but that tonight was really, really good. I mean, he was good. He was well rested. And he pulled down some really, really big innings for us,” Snitker said.
Game 2 is in Houston on Wednesday night.
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