"Give me a full 7-game series against these guys again. This is great baseball"- MLB fans and experts react to nail-biting extra-inning thriller between Atlanta Braves and Houston Astros
In a nail-biting affair between the two MLB heavyweights, the Houston Astros and Atlanta Braves were every bit as entertaining as advertised. In a tug-of-war extra-inning walk-off that saw the Braves edge the Astros 5-4, it was a playoff atmosphere in Atlanta. The tense battle between these World Series contenders left much to be admired and enjoyed as one fan so eloquently put it.
Cristian Javier was fantastic. 6 innings. 1 mistake. We're tied 1-1. Give me a full 7 game series against these guys again. This is great baseball.
It may not have been a home run derby, but both sides showcased the future of MLB pitching legends. Christian Javier and Spencer Strider went toe-to-toe in a game that, despite the 1-1 tie through 9, built tension which inevitably erupted in extra-innings.
In a potential World Series preview, it was power vs power on the hill between these dueling Aces. Spencer Strider went 6 strong and whiffing 9. Here is a more in-depth game and season statline to put Strider's performance in perspective.
Spencer Strider went six innings tonight, allowing one run with a pair of walks and nine strikeouts.
Strider's has now struck out 151 batters in 100.2 IP this season.
As a starter, Strider has punched out 114 batters in 76.1 IP over 15 career starts. #Braves
But Cristian Javier went neck-and neck, matching his Atlanta Braves counterpart in nearly every statistical category.
Cristian Javier struck out eight across six innings of one-run ball tonight against the Braves. His ERA is 2.88. Bryan Abreu has the seventh inning of a 1-1 game.
Very few 1-1 MLB games are as entertaining as this immediate classic in extra innings. Fan tensions came to a head, especially on behalf of Atlanta Braves fans when the Houston Astros took a 3-2 lead in the 10th.
And In typical @Braves fashion, the trash bullpen blows it again, not to mention the bats taking a hiatus #forthea
There were those who threw shade at the MLB Commissioner for the new extra-innings format.
That's game. #Braves lose another Manfred extra innings game.
But these fans spoke too soon as extra-inning frames featured a dramatic see-saw battle of epic proportions. The buildup began to crescendo in the bottom half of the 10th, with the Tribe down 3-1.
That's when Atlanta sensation Michael Harris provided a double to score the designated runner from 2nd to cut the Astros lead to 3-2. The Tomahawk faithful roared their applause as they could smell blood as one of MLB's most potent offense began to awaken.
WAIT WAIT WAIT WAIT WAIT HARRIS SAYS THE GSME IS NOT OVER WHAT A CLUTCH HITTER #Braves #ForTheA
The Braves wasted no time tying the game as Robbie Grossman came to the plate and did this:
Robbie Grossman ties the game in the tenth for Atlanta in this World Series rematch against the Astros!
Houston scored 2 runs in the top half of the tenth prior https://t.co/ixiHzBIDai
That made it a brand new ballgame heading into the 11th with the score knotted at 3, leaving Braves and Astros fans in for a treat of playoff proportions. The see-saw was only beginning.
Climactic finish to the game for the Atlanta Braves
After the Astros took a 4-3 lead in the top half of the 11th, the Atlanta Braves responded with authority. After tying the game once more at 4, the Braves had the bases loaded and nobody out for Travis D'arnaud to walk it off for the Tribe in the 11th.
Travis calls game!
#ForTheA https://t.co/IyLKliENp2
Though this match may be over, signs indicate this may only be the beginning of what's sure to be an epic standoff tomorrow and beyond. If these teams meet again in the World Series, we should hang onto our seatbelts and prepare for another wild ride.