HOUSTON — Wake up, Braves country: It’s officially game day! The Atlanta Braves begin their quest for World Series rings with Game 1 set for Tuesday night.
The Braves are facing an old division foe, the Houston Astros, as they look for their first World Series title since 1995.
It’s a moment that still hasn’t sunk in for the Braves players. That includes Freddie Freeman, who has waited over a decade to reach this stage with the Atlanta organization.
“This is what you dream about as a kid, getting to the World Series. I think it hasn’t completely hit me yet,” Freeman said. “When I walk out on the field and see ‘World Series’ painted onto that field, I think it’s going to be pretty cool, pretty surreal.”
Channel 2 Action News has a team of reporters and photographers following the Braves. Watch LIVE coverage all week from Houston and Atlanta.
Game 1 and Game 2 will be in Houston before the World Series comes to Atlanta later this week. Here is everything that fans need to know about tonight’s game.
[World Series schedule: Here’s when the Atlanta Braves will play Houston Astros]
Game Information and Tickets
Matchup: Atlanta Braves at Houston Astros, Game 1 at Minute Maid Park
Time: First pitch is scheduled for 8:09 p.m. Eastern time
Tickets: Tickets on secondary market are still available. StubHub shows Game 1 prices starting at $425 for standing room only and starting at $453 for outfield deck.
Watch party: The Battery Atlanta will host a watch party that begins 30 minutes before first pitch.
Starting Pitchers:
RHP Charlie Morton vs. LHP Framber Valdez
It’s a full circle moment for the Braves starting pitcher. Atlanta drafted Morton in 2002 and he made his MLB debut in 2008. After the team traded him the next season, Morton built a solid career in the majors and eventually won a World Series with the Astros in 2017.
“I’m sure I’m going to feel some things when I get on that mound,” he said. “I don’t think there’s any way not to.”
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Tuesday’s Game 1 will be Morton’s third start in the World Series over the past five years and his 16th overall start in the postseason.
Meanwhile, Valdez, 27, is making his first World Series start. He made his postseason debut for the Astros last year during their ALCS run that fell short to Tampa Bay.
Game 1 will be the lefty’s third start this postseason with his best appearance on the mound in Game 5 of the ALCS. Valdez has given up 16 hits and eight runs so far this postseason.
“Back in 2014 and 2015 I wouldn’t have thought of being a starter in Game 1 of the World Series, but now it’s real and I appreciate it,” he said. “It’s just a privilege.”
Storylines to watch
Astros experience in World Series vs Braves’ first trip in 22 years
The Houston Astros are making their third World Series since 2017. The Astros defeated the Los Angeles Dodgers in the 2017 Fall Classic for their first World Series title. Houston made it to the Fall Classic again in 2019 but fell to the Washington Nationals.
The lineup has remained intact with stars Jose Altuve, Carlos Correa and Alex Bregman and added more power with Yordan Alvarez and Kyle Tucker.
The Braves meanwhile are making their first appearance since 1999. But the team is still bringing some World Series experience to the table.
[1999 rewind: What the world was like when the Braves last made it to the World Series]
Morton is credited as the winning pitcher for Game 7 of the World Series for the Astros in 2017.
This year will be the fourth World Series for outfielder Joc Pederson, whom the Braves acquired in a trade over the summer. Pederson won last year’s series with the Los Angeles Dodgers.
“It’s pretty cool making the World Series with another team. Obviously, our job is not finished. We have to win four more games, but it feels different because I think with the Dodgers there’s an expectation it’s World Series or bust,” he said. “I don’t think that was necessarily the expectation, especially the way the Braves season went to start. We really had to grind and work for it.”
Snit vs. Snit
Fans will be closely watching a family rivalry on the field. Braves manager Brian Snitker’s son Troy is the hitting coach for the Astros.
Troy Snitker said it’s a reality he didn’t expect to happen and that he owes his work ethic and passion for baseball to his father.
“Just he’s been through so much in his career where if he -- there were plenty of times where he could have easily decided to go do something else, but he stuck with it. I’d say his hard work is the biggest thing that I try to emulate with him,” he said.
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Dusty Baker’s connections to Atlanta
The World Series is also a full circle for Astros manager Dusty Baker. In order for him to win his first ring, he is facing the team where his career started.
Baker made his MLB debut for the Braves in 1968 and played in the outfield for the team until 1975. Baker became best friends with the late Hank Aaron, who also became a mentor and advocate in Baker’s life.
The Astros manager shared Monday just how much Aaron meant to him.
“He had a tremendous impact not only on the baseball field, but in my life and in my family and in business. I’ll be forever grateful to him, and he’s had probably a great impact also on Snitker over there because he hired him when Hank was a farm director to begin his managerial career. So Hank’s footprints are all over this series,” Baker said.
Snitker, 66, and Baker, 72, will be the oldest combined age between World Series managers, according to MLB.
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