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NLCS
[MLB.com] Riley plays G1 hero with HR, walk-off knock - In best-of-seven postseason series with the current 2-3-2 format, teams winning Game 1 at home have gone on to win the series 62 of 94 times (66%). This excludes 2020, when the LCS and World Series were played at neutral sites... [Austin] Riley stirred the home crowd again in the bottom of the fourth when he hit a two-out, game-tying homer off Tony Gonsolin. Riley’s solo shot brought back memories of the decisive go-ahead homer he hit in the ninth inning of Game 1 of the 2020 NLCS.
[Talking Chop] Austin Riley walks it off as Braves stun Dodgers, 3-2 - Kenley Jansen retired the side in order in the bottom of the eighth, which meant that it was Will Smith Time in the top of the ninth. As usual, Will Smith didn’t make things easy. He gave up the first walk of the game by any pitcher on both teams and it happened with two outs on the board because of course it did. Cody Bellinger then came on to pinch hit and while he did come through with a single, Chris Taylor did the Braves a huge favor after he got Thrown Out On The Base Paths Like A Nincompoop. The Braves have grown used to giving other teams those types of gifts during the Postseason so it was really nice to see this happen in favor of Atlanta this time. It ended up being a major breath of life for the Braves in the bottom of the ninth. The Dodgers went with Blake Treinen in an attempt to get it to extra innings and while he struck out Freddie Freeman to hang the Golden Sombrero atop his head, the next two at-bats went wonderfully for Atlanta. Ozzie Albies got on with a bloop single that somehow found some grass, and then stole second base in order to set the stage for Austin Riley. The 2021 MVP candidate was given an opportunity to shine when it mattered most and hoo boy, did he ever shine.
ALCS
[MLB.com] Sox regain swagger, even ALCS: ‘It’s huge’ - A split decision is what the Red Sox left Minute Maid Park with on Saturday night. But it is a big one that puts swagger back in their step as this American League Championship Series heads back to Fenway Park. Needing a quick bounce-back from a tight loss in Game 1, the Red Sox slammed the Astros early in Game 2 en route to a 9-5 victory. And by slam, we are talking in literal terms. J.D. Martinez laced a grand slam to the opposite field in right with two outs in the top of the first. Rafael Devers mauled one down the line in right for another slam with one out in the second.
[Over The Monster] Red Sox 9, Astros 5: A grand time in Houston - [Boston would add one more in the fourth when Kiké Hernández hit his obligatory home run for the night, and that just left things up to the pitching. Houston’s offense is always good for an explosion or two, so the Red Sox just needed Eovaldi to keep them in check. He was up to the challenge, especially early on. He allowed a two-out single to Alex Bregman in the third, but that was the only runner he allowed in the first three innings. In the fourth, though, Houston started to show a little bit of [fight] and make sure this game wasn’t too stress-free for the Red Sox. Eovaldi did get two quick outs to start things off, but then the inning was kept alive with a Yordan Alvarez walk, and Carlos Correa followed it up with a single on the very next pitch. With two men on, Kyle Tucker brought two home with a double rocketed off the wall in left field, and Yuli Gurriel followed it up with a two-run single, and Houston was back to within six.