Braves close out Astros in six games, win first World Series in 26 years

HOUSTON (UPI) — The Atlanta Braves captured their first championship since 1995 after a 7-0 win over the Astros in Game 6 of the World Series on Tuesday night at Minute Maid Park in Houston. Max Fried provided a historic effort on the mound and the trio of Jorge Soler, Freddie Freeman, and Dansby Swanson each smacked home runs as the Braves secured their second title in franchise history since relocating to Atlanta in 1966. The Braves — winners of only 88 games in the regular season — closed out the Astros four games to two in the series. Houston was attempting to claim its second World Series crown in the past five seasons. Fried gave up only four hits with no runs or walks across six innings to earn the win. He became the first starter ever to record at least six strikeouts and allow zero walks and runs in a potential World Series-clinching game. Soler blasted a three-run homer over the train tracks above left field at Minute Maid Park to give Atlanta a 3-0 lead in the top of the third. Swanson followed up Soler’s longball with a two-run shot to left that extended the Braves’ lead to 5-0 in the fifth. Freeman’s run-scoring double in the fifth and his solo home run in the seventh capped the Braves’ improbable run to the World Series trophy. Reporting by Connor Grott