The 2021 National League Championship Series was the best-of-seven series in

Major League Baseball Major League Baseball (MLB) is a professional baseball organization and the oldest major professional sports league in the world. MLB is composed of 30 total teams, divided equally between the National League (NL) and the American League (AL), ...

(MLB) between the

Atlanta Braves The Atlanta Braves are an American professional baseball team based in the Atlanta metropolitan area. The Braves compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (NL) National League East, East division. The Braves ...

and the

Los Angeles Dodgers The Los Angeles Dodgers are an American professional baseball team based in Los Angeles. The Dodgers compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (NL) West division. Established in 1883 in the city of Brooklyn ...

, for the

National League The National League of Professional Baseball Clubs, known simply as the National League (NL), is the older of two leagues constituting Major League Baseball (MLB) in the United States and Canada, and the world's oldest extant professional team s ...

pennant and the right to play in the 2021 World Series. The Braves defeated the Dodgers in six games to advance to their first World Series since 1999. The series was played in a 2–3–2 format, with the first two and last two (if necessary) games played at the home ballpark of the higher

seed A seed is an embryonic plant enclosed in a protective outer covering, along with a food reserve. The formation of the seed is a part of the process of reproduction in seed plants, the spermatophytes, including the gymnosperm and angiospe ...

ed team, the Braves. TBS televised all games in the United States. The Braves would go on to defeat the

American League The American League of Professional Baseball Clubs, known simply as the American League (AL), is one of two leagues that make up Major League Baseball (MLB) in the United States and Canada. It developed from the Western League, a minor league ...

champion

Houston Astros The Houston Astros are an American professional baseball team based in Houston, Texas. The Astros compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) West division, having moved to the division in 2013 after ...

in the World Series, 4 games to 2, to secure their first world championship since 1995.

Background

The

qualified for the postseason as the

National League East The National League East is one of Major League Baseball's six divisions. Along with the American League Central it is one of two divisions to have every member win at least one World Series title. The division was created when the National Leag ...

division leader. It was their fourth straight NL East championship, having won it every year since 2018. The Braves had the worst record out of all postseason teams, at 88–73, and they were the only postseason team with a win total under 90. In the

National League Division Series In Major League Baseball, the National League Division Series (NLDS) determines which two teams from the National League will advance to the National League Championship Series. The Division Series consists of two best-of-five series, featuring ...

, they beat the favored Milwaukee Brewers in four games. This was the Braves' 13th National League Championship Series (NLCS) appearance; however, they had not won an NLCS since 1999. The

qualified for the postseason as a wild card entrant, after they failed to win the

National League West The National League West is one of Major League Baseball's six divisions. This division was formed for the 1969 season when the National League expanded to 12 teams by adding the San Diego Padres and the Montreal Expos. For purpose of keeping a re ...

for the first time since 2012. In the National League Wild Card Game, they defeated the

St. Louis Cardinals The St. Louis Cardinals are an American professional baseball team based in St. Louis. The Cardinals compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (NL) Central division. Since the 2006 season, the Cardinals ha ...

on a two-run walk-off home run from Chris Taylor. In the

, the Dodgers defeated their rivals, the

San Francisco Giants The San Francisco Giants are an American professional baseball team based in San Francisco, California. The Giants compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (NL) West division. Founded in 1883 as the New Yor ...

, in five games. This was the Dodgers' fifth appearance in the NLCS in six seasons, sixth in nine seasons, and 15th overall. While the Dodgers had a better record than Atlanta during the regular season, the Braves had home-field advantage in the NLCS due to the Braves being the higher seeded team in the NL postseason bracket. This was the fifth postseason matchup between the Dodgers and Braves. The previous meetings were the 1996 NLDS (won by the Braves), 2013 NLDS, 2018 NLDS, and 2020 NLCS (the latter three won by the Dodgers). The two teams also met in the

1959 National League tie-breaker series The 1959 National League tie-breaker series was a best-of-three playoff series that extended Major League Baseball's (MLB) regular season to decide the winner of the National League (NL) pennant. The tiebreaker series was necessary after the L ...

, considered regular season games, with the Dodgers winning that series, two games to none, to advance to the 1959 World Series. The Braves and Dodgers also shared the same division (NL West) for 24 years (1969–1993), where they finished in the top two positions in the division in 1982, 1983, and 1991, all of which came down to the final week of the season. This was the sixth time that teams met in a re-match in the NLCS in consecutive years, following the Cubs-Dodgers in 2016– 2017, Dodgers-Phillies in 2008– 2009, Astros-Cardinals in 2004– 2005, Braves-Pirates in 1991– 1992, and the Dodgers-Phillies in 1977– 1978. The Braves and Dodgers played six games during the regular season, with the Dodgers winning the season series, 4–2.

Summary

Game summaries

''Note that both teams had a player named "Will Smith"—a pitcher for Atlanta and a catcher for Los Angeles.''

Game 1

Max Fried Max Dorian Fried ( ; born January 18, 1994), nicknamed "Maximus", is an American professional baseball pitcher for the Atlanta Braves of Major League Baseball (MLB). Drafted in 2012 by the San Diego Padres in the first round, seventh overall, F ...

started for Atlanta, while

Corey Knebel Corey Andrew Knebel (born November 26, 1991) is an American professional baseball pitcher who is a free agent. He has played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Detroit Tigers, Milwaukee Brewers, Los Angeles Dodgers and Philadelphia Phillies. ...

acted as an

opener Opener, Open'er or Openers may refer to: * ''Opener'' (album), an album by 8mm * Opener (baseball), a baseball strategy to use a relief pitcher to start a game * Open'er Festival, a contemporary music festival held in Gdynia, Poland * Bottle opene ...

for Los Angeles. Atlanta took a 1–0 lead in the bottom of the first, as

Eddie Rosario Eddie Manuel Rosario, Jr. (born September 28, 1991) is a Puerto Rican professional baseball left fielder for the Atlanta Braves of Major League Baseball (MLB). Rosario was selected by the Minnesota Twins in the fourth round of the 2010 MLB draf ...

singled, stole second, advanced to third on a ground out, and scored on a

wild pitch In baseball, a wild pitch (WP) is charged against a pitcher when his pitch is too high, too short, or too wide of home plate for the catcher to control with ordinary effort, thereby allowing a baserunner, or the batter (on an uncaught third str ...

. The Dodgers tied the game in the top of the second; A. J. Pollock hit a two-out double and scored on a single by Chris Taylor. The teams traded solo home runs in the fourth inning—

Will Smith Willard Carroll Smith II (born September 25, 1968), also known by his stage name The Fresh Prince, is an American actor and rapper. He began his Will Smith filmography, acting career starring as Will Smith (The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air), a ...

for Los Angeles and Austin Riley for Atlanta—leaving the score tied, 2–2. Fried left after six innings, having allowed eight hits while striking out five batters. A two-out threat by the Dodgers in the top of the ninth was ended when Taylor was tagged out after being caught in a

rundown In baseball, a rundown, informally known as a pickle or the hotbox, is a situation that occurs when the baserunner is stranded between two bases, also known as no-man's land, and is in jeopardy of being tagged out. When the baserunner attempts ...

between second and third. In the bottom of the ninth,

Ozzie Albies Ozhaino Jurdy Jiandro "Ozzie" Albies (born January 7, 1997) is a Curaçaoan professional baseball second baseman for the Atlanta Braves of Major League Baseball (MLB). Albies signed with the Braves organization in 2013, and made his MLB debut wi ...

hit a one-out bloop single off of

Blake Treinen Blake M. Treinen (, born June 30, 1988) is an American professional baseball pitcher for the Los Angeles Dodgers of Major League Baseball (MLB). He played college baseball for the Baker Wildcats and the South Dakota State Jackrabbits baseball te ...

, stole second, and then scored on a Riley single to left, giving Atlanta a 1–0 lead in the series.

Game 2

Starting pitchers were Ian Anderson for Atlanta and

Max Scherzer Maxwell Martin Scherzer (born July 27, 1984) is an American professional baseball pitcher for the New York Mets of Major League Baseball (MLB). He previously played in MLB for the Arizona Diamondbacks, Detroit Tigers, Washington Nationals, and L ...

for Los Angeles.

Mookie Betts Markus Lynn "Mookie" Betts (born October 7, 1992) is an American professional baseball outfielder for the Los Angeles Dodgers of Major League Baseball (MLB). He previously played for the Boston Red Sox. In 2018, while with the Red Sox, he became ...

opened the game with a single, followed by a home run from

Corey Seager Corey Drew Seager (born April 27, 1994), nicknamed "Seags", is an American professional baseball shortstop for the Texas Rangers of Major League Baseball (MLB). Seager was selected by the Los Angeles Dodgers in the first round of the 2012 Ma ...

, staking the Dodgers to an early 2–0 lead. Anderson was

pinch hit In baseball, a pinch hitter is a substitute batter. Batters can be substituted at any time while the ball is dead (not in active play); the manager may use any player who has not yet entered the game as a substitute. Unlike basketball, Americ ...

for in the bottom of the third, having allowed two runs on three hits and three walks while striking out two batters. In the bottom of the fourth,

Joc Pederson Joc Russell Pederson ( ; born April 21, 1992) is an American professional baseball outfielder for the San Francisco Giants of Major League Baseball (MLB). He has previously played in MLB for the Los Angeles Dodgers, Chicago Cubs, and Atlanta Br ...

hit a one-out homer with Austin Riley on base, tying the game, 2–2. Scherzer left with one out in the bottom of the fifth, having allowed two runs on four hits while striking out seven. In the top of the seventh, the Dodgers had the

bases loaded B backdoor breaking ball :A breaking pitch, usually a slider, curveball, or cut fastball that, due to its lateral motion, passes through a small part of the strike zone on the outside edge of the plate after seeming as if it would miss the p ...

with two outs following two walks and a

hit batsman In baseball, hit by pitch (HBP) is an event in which a batter or his clothing or equipment (other than his bat) is struck directly by a pitch from the pitcher; the batter is called a hit batsman (HB). A hit batsman is awarded first base, provided ...

; Chris Taylor then drove in two runs with a double off of Luke Jackson, putting Los Angeles ahead, 4–2. With one out in the bottom of the eighth,

singled off of

Julio Urías Julio César Urías Acosta (born August 12, 1996), nicknamed "El Culichi", is a Mexican professional baseball pitcher for the Los Angeles Dodgers of Major League Baseball (MLB). The Dodgers signed him in 2012, and he made his MLB debut in 2016. ...

to drive in

from second, pulling Atlanta within a run, 4–3. Riley then doubled to deep center, scoring Albies from first and tying the game, 4–4. Atlanta closer

retired the Dodgers in order in the top of the ninth.

Brusdar Graterol Brusdar Javier Graterol (born August 26, 1998) is a Venezuelan professional baseball pitcher for the Los Angeles Dodgers of Major League Baseball (MLB). He made his MLB debut in 2019 for the Minnesota Twins. Career Minnesota Twins Graterol signe ...

came in to pitch the bottom of the ninth; he recorded two outs and, with

Dansby Swanson James Dansby Swanson (born February 11, 1994) is an American professional baseball shortstop for the Chicago Cubs of Major League Baseball (MLB). He has previously played in MLB for the Atlanta Braves. The Arizona Diamondbacks selected him firs ...

at second, was replaced by Dodgers closer

Kenley Jansen Kenley Geronimo Jansen (born September 30, 1987) is a Curaçaoan professional baseball pitcher for the Boston Red Sox of Major League Baseball (MLB). He has previously played in MLB for the Los Angeles Dodgers and Atlanta Braves. Signed by the ...

. Rosario hit Jansen's first pitch up the middle, getting by Seager and driving in Swanson to give the Braves a 2–0 series lead.

Game 3

Starting pitchers were

Walker Buehler Walker Anthony Buehler (born July 28, 1994) is an American professional baseball pitcher for the Los Angeles Dodgers of Major League Baseball (MLB). He played college baseball for the Vanderbilt Commodores and was a member of their 2014 College W ...

for Los Angeles and Charlie Morton for Atlanta. In the bottom of the first,

walked, then

homered, giving the Dodgers an early 2–0 lead, as had been the case in Game 2. The Braves rallied back, scoring four runs in the top of the fourth inning.

Freddie Freeman Frederick Charles Freeman (born September 12, 1989) is an American-Canadian professional baseball first baseman for the Los Angeles Dodgers of Major League Baseball (MLB). Previously, Freeman played for the Atlanta Braves for 12 seasons. He mad ...

singled to open the inning, and with one out Austin Riley doubled.

then singled to score Freeman.

Adam Duvall Adam Lynn Duvall (born September 4, 1988) is an American professional baseball outfielder who is a free agent. He played college baseball at the University of Louisville. Duvall was drafted by the San Francisco Giants in the 11th round of the 201 ...

subsequently singled to score Riley and tie the game.

Travis d'Arnaud Travis Emmanuel d'Arnaud (born February 10, 1989), nicknamed Lil D, is an American professional baseball catcher for the Atlanta Braves of Major League Baseball (MLB). He was selected by the Philadelphia Phillies in the supplemental first round o ...

walked to load the bases, then

singled to give the Braves a 3–2 lead. The final run of the inning came on a walk to

that forced in a run. The Braves extended their lead in the top of the fifth with an RBI single by Duvall to bring

in, making the score 5–2. In the bottom of the eighth, a three-run homer by

Cody Bellinger Cody James Bellinger (born July 13, 1995) is an American professional baseball center fielder and first baseman for the Chicago Cubs of Major League Baseball (MLB). He has previously played in MLB for the Los Angeles Dodgers. He was selected ...

with one out tied the game, 5–5. Betts doubled with two outs, scoring Chris Taylor who had singled, to give the Dodgers a 6–5 lead. Dodgers closer

came in and struck out the side in the top of the ninth, giving the Dodgers their first win of the series. The Braves used five pitchers, with Morton leaving after five innings having allowed two runs on three hits; Luke Jackson, who was charged with all four eighth-inning runs, took the loss. The Dodgers used nine pitchers, with Buehler leaving after innings having allowed four runs on seven hits. Tony Gonsolin, who recorded the final out in the top of the eighth, got the win, while Jansen earned the save. Bellinger's home run in the eighth was just the third home run in Dodgers history that tied a postseason game in the eighth inning or later, joining Mike Scioscia’s in the ninth inning of 1988 NLCS Game 4 and Carl Furillo’s in Game 6 of the 1953 World Series.

Game 4

started for the Dodgers and

Jesse Chavez Jesse David Chavez (born August 21, 1983) is an American professional baseball pitcher in the Atlanta Braves organization. He played college baseball at Riverside Community College, and was drafted by the Texas Rangers in the 42nd round of the 2 ...

acted as an

for the Braves.

Huascar Ynoa Huascar Jose Ynoa Ventura (born May 28, 1998) is a Dominican professional baseball pitcher for the Atlanta Braves of Major League Baseball (MLB). He made his MLB debut in 2019. Career Minnesota Twins Ynoa signed with the Minnesota Twins as an ...

had planned to open for the Braves, but he was replaced on Atlanta's roster earlier in the day due to right shoulder discomfort. Atlanta took a 2–0 lead in the top of the second on back-to-back solo home runs by

and

. A solo homer by

in the top of the third, along with a Rosario triple and a

single to drive him in, extended the lead to 4–0. With runners on first and third with one out in the top fo the fifth, Duvall hit a sacrifice fly to make it 5–0. The Dodgers got two runs back in the bottom of the fifth; with two outs and runners on second and third, A. J. Pollock singled, trimming Atlanta's lead to 5–2. In the bottom of the seventh inning, Dodgers third baseman

Justin Turner Justin Matthew Turner (born November 23, 1984) is an American professional baseball third baseman for the Boston Red Sox of Major League Baseball (MLB). He has previously played in MLB for the Baltimore Orioles, New York Mets and Los Angeles Dod ...

exited with a hamstring injury after grounding into a

double play In baseball and softball, a double play (denoted as DP in baseball statistics) is the act of making two outs during the same continuous play. Double plays can occur any time there is at least one baserunner and fewer than two outs. In Major Leag ...

. In the top of the ninth,

singled, stole second, and was driven in by a Freeman

ground rule double A ground rule double is a baseball rule that awards two bases from the time of pitch to all baserunners including the batter-runner, as a result of the ball leaving play after being hit fairly and leaving the field under a condition of the gro ...

, extending Atlanta's lead to 6–2. Rosario's second home run of the game, with two men on base, made it 9–2. Rosario collected four hits in the game and was a double short of

hitting for the cycle In baseball, hitting for the cycle is the accomplishment of one batter who hits a single, a double, a triple, and a home run in the same game. Collecting the hits in that order is known as a "natural cycle". Cycles are rare in Major League ...

, which would have been only the second cycle in postseason history. With a scoreless bottom of the ninth, the Braves took a 3–1 lead in the series.

Drew Smyly Todd Andrew Smyly (born June 13, 1989), nicknamed "Big Shooter", is an American professional baseball pitcher for the Chicago Cubs of Major League Baseball (MLB). He has previously played in MLB for the Detroit Tigers, Tampa Bay Rays, Texas Ra ...

, the second of six Braves pitchers, got the win after pitching innings and allowing two runs on two hits. Urías, who pitched five innings for the Dodgers, allowed five runs on eight hits and took the loss.

Game 5

Before the game,

was removed from the Dodgers' playoff roster, due to a hamstring injury, and was replaced by

Andy Burns Andrew David Burns (born August 7, 1990) is an American professional baseball infielder who is a free agent. He has played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Los Angeles Dodgers and Toronto Blue Jays and in the KBO League for the Lotte Gi ...

. The Braves removed

Cristian Pache Cristian Rafael Pache ( ; born November 19, 1998) is a Dominican professional baseball outfielder for the Oakland Athletics of Major League Baseball (MLB). He made his MLB debut in 2020 with the Atlanta Braves. Early life Pache, the second of ...

from their roster, adding

Jorge Soler Jorge Carlos Soler Castillo (born February 25, 1992) is a Cuban professional baseball outfielder for the Miami Marlins of Major League Baseball (MLB). Soler has previously played in MLB for the Chicago Cubs, Kansas City Royals, and Atlanta ...

who had been on the COVID-19-related injured list. Starting pitchers were Joe Kelly acting as an

for Los Angeles and

for Atlanta.

singled with one out in the top of the first, then

homered to give the Braves an early 2–0 lead. Kelly left with two outs, due to right bicep tightness, and was relieved by Evan Phillips. A. J. Pollock led off the bottom of the second with a solo home run; he was followed by Albert Pujols who singled, then Chris Taylor homered to put the Dodgers ahead, 3–2. With one out in the bottom of the third, the Dodgers had consecutive singles from Pollock, Pujols, and Taylor, adding a run to make it 4–2. With two outs in the bottom of the fifth, Pujols walked and was followed by Taylor's second home run of the game, extending the Dodgers' lead to 6–2. With two outs in the bottom of the seventh, Taylor hit his third home run, a solo shot making it a 7–2 game. Only ten players had previously hit three home runs in a playoff game, the first being

Babe Ruth George Herman "Babe" Ruth Jr. (February 6, 1895 – August 16, 1948) was an American professional baseball player whose career in Major League Baseball (MLB) spanned 22 seasons, from 1914 through 1935. Nicknamed "the Bambino" and "the Su ...

in 1926 and the last being Enrique Hernández in 2017. In the bottom of the eighth,

led off with single, stole second, and scored on a single by

Trea Turner Trea Vance Turner (born June 30, 1993) is an American professional baseball shortstop for the Philadelphia Phillies of Major League Baseball (MLB). He has previously played in MLB for the Washington Nationals and Los Angeles Dodgers. Turner pl ...

. With one out, Pollock hit his second home run of the game, coming with two men on base to grow the lead to 11–2. Taylor batted with two outs in the bottom of the eighth; with an opportunity to be the first player with four home runs in a playoff game, he struck out against Braves pitcher

Jacob Webb Jacob Lawrence Webb (born August 15, 1993) is an American professional baseball pitcher for the Los Angeles Angels of Major League Baseball (MLB). He made his MLB debut with the Atlanta Braves in 2019. He played college baseball at Tabor College ...

. Dodgers closer

pitched the top of the ninth, retiring the side in order as the Dodgers avoided elimination.

Game 6

Prior to the game, the Dodgers added David Price to their roster, replacing Joe Kelly due to right biceps tightness.

had been expected to start for the Dodgers, but he was scratched following reports of an arm issue. On the morning of the game, the Dodgers announced that

would start on three days rest; he had pitched innings in Game 3. Ian Anderson started for Atlanta. The Braves took a 1–0 lead in the bottom of the first, on back-to-back two-out doubles by

and Austin Riley. The Dodgers tied the game in the top of the fourth, as

hit a two-out single with runners on first and second, scoring

. Anderson was lifted in favor of

pinch hitter In baseball, a pinch hitter is a substitute Batting (baseball), batter. Batters can be substituted at any time while the dead ball (baseball), ball is dead (not in active play); the manager (baseball), manager may use any player who has not yet ...

Ehire Adrianza in the bottom of the fourth inning. After Adrianza doubled with two outs, putting runners at second and third,

hit a home run to put Atlanta back in the lead, 4–1.

relieved Buehler for the bottom of the fifth inning. The Dodgers opened the seventh inning with a double by Chris Taylor and a walk by Bellinger; A. J. Pollock then doubled down the left-field line, driving in Taylor and leaving runners at second and third with no one out, and Braves' lead reduced to 4–2. The Braves' Tyler Matzek entered to pitch, relieving Luke Jackson, and struck out Albert Pujols, Steven Souza Jr., and

to end the threat. Matzek returned to pitch the top of the eighth and retired the side in order. Pinch hitter

led off the bottom of the eighth with a double off of Dodgers closer

. Although Atlanta had runners at first and third with one out, then second and third with two outs, Jansen did not allow the Braves to add to their lead. Braves closer

came in to pitch the top of the ninth with a two-run lead. Smith struck out Taylor and Bellinger for the first two outs; Pollock then grounded out to

to end the game and send the Braves to the

World Series The World Series is the annual championship series of Major League Baseball (MLB) in the United States and Canada, contested since 1903 between the champion teams of the American League (AL) and the National League (NL). The winner of the World ...

for the first time since . After the game, the Braves' Rosario was named NLCS MVP; he collected 14 hits in the series, tying him with four other players (

Hideki Matsui , nicknamed " Godzilla", is a Japanese former professional baseball outfielder and designated hitter who played baseball in Nippon Professional Baseball (NPB) and Major League Baseball (MLB). He batted left-handed and threw right-handed. Mats ...

, Albert Pujols,

Marco Scutaro Marcos Scutaro, better known as Marco Scutaro, (; born October 30, 1975) is a Venezuelan former professional baseball infielder. He bats and throws right-handed. Scutaro made his major league debut with the New York Mets in 2002, and subsequentl ...

, and

Kevin Youkilis Kevin Edmund Youkilis (; born March 15, 1979), nicknamed "Youk" , is an American former professional baseball first baseman and third baseman, who primarily played for the Boston Red Sox. A native of Cincinnati, Ohio, he was drafted by the Red S ...

) for the major league record of most hits in a postseason series.

References

External links

Major League Baseball postseason schedule
{{Los Angeles Dodgers

National League Championship Series The National League Championship Series (NLCS) is a best-of-seven playoff and one of two League Championship Series comprising the penultimate round of Major League Baseball's (MLB) postseason. It is contested by the winners of the two Nation ...

National League Championship Series

Atlanta Braves postseason Los Angeles Dodgers postseason