ATLANTA — The Braves’ run at history fell short Friday night, but the consolation prize — merely a Fall Classic victory on home turf to take the series lead — wasn’t too shabby.
No-hit fever gripped Truist Park into the eighth inning, after Ian Anderson, A.J. Minter and Luke Jackson had held the Astros’ dangerous lineup hitless. The Astros finally got their hit, and then another in the ninth, but it wasn’t enough to stop the Braves in their 2-0 victory in Game 3 of the World Series.
The Braves, ahead 2-1 in the series, won their sixth straight home game this postseason. It was the franchise’s first home World Series victory since 1995.
Travis d’Arnaud provided a cushion for the Braves with a solo homer in the eighth. The blast was the second in this series for the former Mets catcher, who finished the night 2-for-4.
The no-hit drama built until the eighth when pinch-hitter Aledmys Diaz, leading off the inning, hit a bloop to left field off Tyler Matzek that landed in front of Eddie Rosario’s outstretched glove. Matzek was aware of the no-hitter to that point, unlike others involved in trying to preserve it.
Travis d’Arnaud, who also homered, celebrates a double in the Braves’ Game 3 win over the Astros on Friday. Getty Images
“Luke Jackson didn’t know, Minter didn’t know,” Matzek said. “After I got done with my inning, they said, ‘Did you know you gave up the first hit?’ Yeah, I did know. I paid attention.”
Don Larsen’s perfect game for the Yankees against the Dodgers in 1956 stands as the only no-hitter in World Series history. Roy Halladay has the only other no-hitter in postseason history, for the Phillies against the Reds in the 2010 NLDS.
The Braves, leading just 1-0, still had a game to win. Jose Siri, pinch-running for Diaz, stole second base with two outs and advanced to third on d’Arnaud’s wild throw. Matzek, undeterred, got Michael Brantley to pop up for the final out.
Will Smith was entrusted a two-run lead in the ninth — after d’Arnaud’s homer had provided insurance — and allowed a single to Alex Bregman, but escaped unscathed.
The Braves celebrate beating the Astros in Game 3 on Friday. Getty Images“My pitching staff is full of studs,” d’Arnaud said.
Fans chanted, “Cheat-er, cheat-er,” for Houston’s Jose Altuve and Bregman among others throughout the night. It’s a chant the Astros have heard plenty, following MLB’s investigation that determined the team used electronic surveillance to steal signs during its 2017 World Series title season.
Anderson continued his strong postseason by firing five hitless innings for the Braves, in which he struck out four and walked three. The right-hander, an October veteran at age 23, has pitched to a 1.59 ERA and 0.94 WHIP in four starts this postseason. Anderson also started four postseason games for the Braves last year.
“The no-hitter thing, he wasn’t going to pitch a nine-inning no-hitter,” Braves manager Brian Snitker said. “We had all our [relievers] gassed up today and I kind of like how it lined up.”
Anderson, who threw 76 pitches, said he felt strong after the fifth, but understood the rationale behind Snitker’s decision to remove him.
“You get that adrenaline after getting the last out of the inning, and I felt good,” Anderson said. “You feel good about it coming off the field. Once you sit there for a little bit, maybe reality starts kicking in a little bit more. Yeah, I thought there was a chance that I could stay in, but I think, when you have a chance to get to those guys at the back end [of the bullpen], you can’t hesitate.”
Austin Riley’s RBI double in the third gave the Braves a 1-0 lead, but they wasted an opportunity for more. After Jorge Soler walked to load the bases, Adam Duvall fell behind 0-2 in the count to Luis Garcia before weakly popping out. Garcia then struck out d’Arnaud to escape.
Garcia lasted 3 ²/₃ innings for the Astros and allowed one earned run on three hits with six strikeouts and four walks over 72 pitches. The right-hander was removed after working through the lineup a second time, replaced in the fourth inning by lefty Blake Taylor, who recorded the final out after allowing a single to Rosario.
Altuve and Bregman each drew a walk against Anderson in the first inning, but Brantley hit into a double play in between as the rally killer.
In the fourth, Yordan Alvarez walked and Carlos Correa was hit by a pitch, but with two outs Anderson retired Kyle Tucker on a comebacker. Anderson worked perfect innings in the second, third and fifth.
“That was kind of an uneventful night for us,” Astros manager Dusty Baker said. “But invariably when you shut us down our guys come back the next day and score a bunch, so I hope history repeats itself.”
