Major League Baseball

World Series 2021: Top plays from Atlanta Braves vs. Houston Astros Game 1

Updated Oct. 28, 2021 12:25 p.m. ET

The Atlanta Braves struck the first blow of the World Series, taking Game 1 against the Houston Astros with a final score of 6-2 on Tuesday at Minute Maid Park.

Charlie Morton was on the bump to start Game 1 for the visiting Braves, but he left in the third inning due to injury after keeping the Astros scoreless. Framber Valdez, who got the call for Houston, was pulled with nobody out in the top of the third inning after giving up five early runs.

Both bullpens did an admirable job from there, but the NL champs got the better of the AL champs to win Game 1 of the Fall Classic.

Here are all of the best plays from the opener of the 2021 World Series.

Atlanta Braves 6, Houston Astros 2 (Braves lead 1-0)

Chills

There is nothing quite like the national anthem at a massive sporting event. For Game 1, Keke Palmer belted out "The Star-Spangled Banner" in front of the fans in Houston.

Soler power

It took three pitches for the Braves to take an early lead, as Jorge Soler deposited a 2-0 sinker into the Crawford Boxes in left field.

Not only did Soler give the Braves an early lead, but he also made World Series history. That was the first time in World Series history that a leadoff hitter has hit a homer in the top of the first inning of Game 1.

And the RBIs kept coming, as Austin Riley drove in Ozzie Albies with a one-out double before the side was retired.

How's that for a quick start?

Taco time!

Thanks to Albies' swiping of second base in the top of the first inning, America won a free taco from Taco Bell. FOX Sports' very own Ben Verlander predicted that Albies would be the one to get it done ahead of the game, too.

Jam session

The Astros knocked on the door in the bottom of the first, but Morton got off the hook unscathed.

With the bases loaded and two outs, Kyle Tucker got ahold of a curveball and shot it to right, where Albies ranged to his left to gobble up the grounder and end the inning.

Gone in a flash

After the Braves added another run in the second inning, Adam Duvall joined the hit parade in the top of the third, launching a home run to left field to add two more for the visitors and make it 5-0.

That spelled the end for Valdez, as Astros manager Dusty Baker went to the bullpen with nobody out in the inning. Yimi García came in and settled things down, retiring the first three batters he faced.

Down goes Morton

Morton had been on a roll but landed awkwardly as he struck out Jose Altuve.

MLB on FOX's Ken Rosenthal reported that it was a right ankle injury that ended Morton's evening. Earlier in the game, a comebacker struck Morton's ankle, the result of which eventually became too painful, and Morton was unable to carry on, per Rosenthal.

Later, the Braves announced that Morton had suffered a right fibula fracture, ending his World Series.

Chipping away

Chas McCormick put the hosts on the board with a rocket off of A.J. Minter.

The sharply hit ball ate up Braves shortstop Dansby Swanson, who was charged with an error, allowing Tucker to come in for Houston's first run of the game. Minter stopped the bleeding there, though, keeping the score at 5-1 after four innings.

That's a relief

With both starters out early, it was up to the bullpens to shoulder a large load in the middle innings.

Aside from Minter's one run, both teams got exactly what they needed from their respective stable of relief pitchers, and the score remained 5-1 after seven innings.

Swan dive

In the eighth, Swanson made up for his tricky error earlier with a slick slide into home after tagging up at third.

Let's take another look at that slide, which gave Freddie Freeman a sacrifice fly RBI and gave the Braves a 6-1 lead.

Air Yordan

Yordan Alvarez, the ALCS MVP, wasn't about to go quietly into the night. He bopped a triple to start the bottom of the eighth, narrowly missing a home run to deep center field.

He came home on a groundout from Carlos Correa to make the score 6-2.

Showing off the arm

Defense makes a difference, too! Eddie Rosario came up huge to close out the eighth, snagging a ball that bounced off the left-field wall to clip Yuli Gurriel at second base.

Gurriel came just inches shy of hitting it into the seats, too. Instead, it was an out.

Come the ninth, neither team added to its respective total, and the game wrapped 6-2 in favor of the visitors.