ATLANTA (AP), The latest on Game 4 in the World Series (all times local).
The Atlanta Braves won 3-2 over the Houston Astros with Jorge Soler pinch-hitting. This gave them a three-game lead in the World Series.
Sunday night is Game 5.
The Braves can win the title at home, as they did in 1995 against the Cleveland Indians.
Swansons' one-out drive made it 2-all, and Soler scored with a liner to right field off reliever Cristian Javiar.
Soler's connection caused the Braves to spill out of their dugout, and Truist Park was rocked by the riots.
It was costly for the Astros as they missed many chances to score early. Jose Altuve scored both runs and homered for Houston.
___
8.37
11:50 p.m.
Atlanta's late comeback was ignited by Eddie Rosario's bat, and he also helped to preserve the Braves' 3-2 lead with his glove.
Luke Jackson required 10 pitches to retire pinch-hitter Aledmys Danz. He struck out Martn Maldonado on a lineout to begin the eighth inning. Jose Altuve was able to hit a hard ball to left field.
Rosario, who scored Atlanta's first run in the seventh, doubled the distance to the warning track. He then made a reaching grab with his backhand at the wall.
Jorge Soler, the NLCS MVP, spun around and walked toward the dugout. Half an inning later, Soler was watching with his eyes on his head as he delivered a pinch-hit homer. Jackson gave Rosario an enormous hug upon their return to the dugout.
Ryan Pressly, Houston's catcher, walked Ozzie Albies in the bottom of the ninth inning and then struck Joc Pederson with an out pitch. He struck out Travis dArnaud, and Adam Duvall gave him a foul out.
Braves closer Will Smith was scheduled to attempt his second consecutive save in the ninth. This would have given Atlanta a 3-1 lead over the best-of-7 series.
___
11:15 p.m.
In the seventh inning, Dansby Swanson and Jorge Soler hit back-to-back single home runs that gave the Atlanta Braves a 3-1 lead over the Houston Astros.
Continue the story
Atlanta is just six games away from taking a three-game lead in the best of seven Series. This could set up a possible clincher in Game 5 at Home Sunday night.
Swanson broke his postseason slump just in the right moment, driving a 0-2 fastball to Cristian Javier to the right for an opposite-field homer. It barely cleared Truist Park's brick wall.
As he raised his right index finger to the air, the shortstop was fired up and circled the bases.
Soler batted for Tyler Matzek and then threw a Javier 2-1 slider just past the left-field fence to give Atlanta the lead. Astros left fielder Yordan Avarez banged into the fence after the ball, shaking up but remaining in the game.
After becoming the first to open a Fall Classic by opening it with a homerun in Game 1, this was his second homer.
Soler started the game on the bench. Joc Pederson, a left-handed hitter, began in right field against Zack Greinke.
Javier hadn't allowed an earned run in this postseason's nine-inning stint when he was called up.
This was the first time that the Braves had ever hit back-to-back homers during their history as a franchise.
Atlanta's Matzek threw a scoreless seventh.
___
10:49 p.m.
Atlanta's red-hot Eddie Rosario takes Atlanta to the ball in Game 4. Houston's lead is cut to 2-1 in the sixth.
The NLCS MVP doubled his score with just one out. He now has 23 hits for 58 in this postseason. His 23 hits rank second in the number of Braves players who have had at least one hit in a postseason. They trail only Marquis Grissoms 25 hits from 1995.
Rosarios' double was against Brooks Raley, a left-handed pitcher who took over to begin the sixth. Raley walked Freddie Freeman and was then replaced by Phil Maton who struck out Ozzie Albies. Rosario scored on Austin Riley's single.
Maton deliberately walked Joc Pederson in order to load the bases with only two outs. Travis dArnaud then looked.
Atlanta's third pitcher, Chris Martin, made it through the sixth inning on nine pitches. He gave up a two-out hit to Michael Brantley, but left him on Alex Bregman's groundout. Bregman is currently 0 for 4, and 1 for 13 in World Series.
___
10:15 p.m.
Ryne Stanek threw a flawless fifth inning to relieve Zack Greinke in Houston. The Astros led 2-0 into the sixth inning as they tried to tie the World Series at just two games each.
Houston hitters are currently 0 for 8, with runners in scoring positions, and have left nine. The Astros, however, have kept Atlanta at bay behind Stanek, Greinke and solid defense.
Greinke had only pitched 4 1/3 innings in the 41 days prior to this game, and 2/3 of those innings were in the postseason. He gave the Astros everything they could hope for with four shutout innings. The 38-year old right-hander was a complete pro and never allowed a runner reach second base. He also induced a pair 4-6-3 double plays to end the third- and fourth innings, the first by Joc Pederson and the second by Freddie Freeman.
Kyle Wright had pitched 4 2/3 innings of relief for the Braves. Jose Altuves single homer was the only one that was allowed in the fourth. It made it 2-0.
Wright retired the first two batters of the fifth before Kyle Tucker singled. Tucker stole second, his fifth postseason steal, and then continued to third due to another throwing error made by Travis dArnaud. AL batting champion Yuli Guriel was intentionally walked, before pinch-hitter Marwin Gonzales flied out.
___
9:45 p.m.
Jose Altuve opened the fourth inning by hitting a long homer that raised the Houston Astros' lead to 2-0.
After seven Astros baserunners were left in the first three innings of the game, Altuve struck a Kyle Wright sinker that was 437 feet high above the center field wall. This was Altuve's second homer in the World Series, and it helped the Astros get closer to tieing the Series at two games each.
Matthew Kaminski, Braves stadium organist, was pleased with Altuve's homer. He played Its a Small World when the 5-foot-6 second baseman walked up to the plate.
Wright had pitched 3 1/3 innings to relieve Dylan Lee and the homer was Wright's first run.
Zack Greinke, a veteran right-hander, gave up a single to Austin Riley. This was the fourth consecutive inning in which the right-hander allowed a single. Joc Pederson grounded into a double play to complete the inning. Greinke has not allowed a baserunner reach second.
___
9:22 p.m.
Houston Astros continue to miss opportunities to extend their lead and Atlanta holds a 1-0 advantage after three innings.
The Astros are desperate for a big hit and are currently 0 for 7. They'll regret their missed opportunities if they can't hold on to tie the series.
Kyle Tucker grounded into an outfielder that put runners at the corners with no outs in the third. When the count reached 2-0, the Braves intentionally walked AL champion Yuli Gurriel. Pitcher Zack Greinke singled to end the inning.
Greinke gave up a single in each of his first three innings but no Braves runner reached second.
___
9:05 p.m.
Zack Greinke has thrown around two hits in the Houston Astros' second inning. They have a 1-0 advantage over Atlanta going into the third, as they attempt to even the World Series at just two games each.
Greinke, 38 years old, has walked two and struck out two while grunting on almost every pitch. On a 3-0 pitch, he gave up a double to Adam Duvall. He then retired Dansby Swanson with a line drive to the left field.
Kyle Wright, Braves relief pitcher, allowed Greinke and Martin Maldonado consecutive singles with one out in each of the first two innings.
Wright was unharmed by Jose Altuve's diving grab by Austin Riley. Michael Brantley came in second, but Wright came out unscathed.
___
8:42 p.m.
Carlos Correa's run-scoring groundout gave Houston Astros a 1-0 lead in the first inning against the Atlanta Braves, as they attempted to even the World Series at two games each.
Dylan Lee, a left-hander aged 27 years, was the first pitcher to make his debut in the World Series. Lee's big league debut came Oct. 1. He had previously pitched in four games in big league, two during the regular season, and two in the postseason, after he was added in the middle of NL Championship Series.
Jose Altuve reached on an outfield single on his first pitch. Lee walked Michael Brantley, Yordan Varez and Alex Bregman around a strikeout.
After Lee's second pitch, Kyle Wright began warming up and entered the game with Bregman on the plate.
Correa followed with a grounder for shortstop and Wright struck out Kyle Tucker.
Lee only threw five out of fifteen pitches for strikes.
Houston's Zack Greinke, 38, is a veteran of 530 regular-season appearances. He retired Austin Riley and gave up Freddie Freeman's one-out single.
___
8:08 p.m.
Truist Park is full and Braves fans are ready for Game 4 in the World Series.
The rain that had rained on the field and cancelled batting practice has ended. Temperatures are in the 50s. It was a great night of play.
Atlanta's Dylan Lee is the first player. It's an incredible story. A rookie at 27, he did not make his big league debut until October 1, the last weekend of the regular season. He has only pitched four times in major leagues, with two of those in the postseason.
Former President Donald Trump is also in Atlanta. He's doing the chop from his suite just down the right field line.
___
6:50 p.m.
Because of Major League Baseball's COVID-19 protocols, backup catcher Jason Castro was removed from the Houston Astros' World Series roster prior to Game 4.
Garrett Stubbs replaced him.
Castro was added to the COVID-19-related injured list on Saturday. Castro, unlike a player who is injured and cannot return to the game, is eligible for a return if cleared.
Castro, 34, was 0-2 in Game 1 against Atlanta, and 0-1 in Game 2. To help the Astros win Game 4, they scored a go-ahead hit off Boston's Nathan Eovaldi.
Castro is a member the eight-man executive subcommittee of the players' organization that oversees collective bargaining with MLB.
Stubbs was able to hit.176 in 34 regular season at-bats. Since Sept. 16, he has not played in any major league games. He last played at any level for the Triple-A Sugar Land Skeeters on Sept. 30, 2010.
___
5:05 p.m.
Zack Greinke bats eighth for the Houston Astros in Game 4. He is the first pitcher to not hit ninth in the World Series since Babe Ruth, Boston Red Sox, struck sixth in Game 4 in 1918.
Greinke, a 38 year-old right-hander has a career average of.225 with nine homers, 34 RBIs, and 521 at-bats.
Carlos Correa, his teammate, said that he is a great hitter but that he believes he is Babe Ruth or Hank Aaron. He believes he has a career OPS of 1,000. He is always a mess. He says, "Oh, I'm a great hitter." I was like, "Yes, you're a 600-career OPS guy (.598)." What are you talking? He is a great hitter when it comes down to pitchers. I look forward to watching him swing the bat again today. He seems excited about it.
Martn Maldonado is Houston's catcher, going 1 for 8 in Series, and 3 for 37 (.081) postseason.
Ruth was the last pitcher to not bat ninth in the 1918 game. He was 23 when he went 1-2 with a double and a sacrifice and won his second Series win by allowing only two runs in eight innings against Chicago Cubs.
Houston continued to play with the same players as its 2-0 Game 3 defeat.
Jose Altuve, second baseman, hit leadoff. Right fielder Michael Brantley followed, as did Alex Bregman, third baseman Alex Bregman and Alex Bregman. Correa, shortstop, Kyle Tucker, Kyle Tucker, Greinke, Maldonado, and Yuli Gurriel were the other basemen.
4.15 p.m.
Joc Pederson replaced Jorge Soler at right field, and Travis dArnaud moved up to sixth in the Atlanta Braves batting lineup ahead of Adam Duvall for Game 4 against Houston. Dylan Lee was the rookie left-hander.
Eddie Rosario, left fielder, was 3 for 12, with no RBIs in Series. He was followed by Ozzie Albies (second baseman), Freddie Freeman (first baseman), Austi Riley (third baseman), Pederson (right), dArnaud (center), and Danby Swanson (shortstop).
Lee, 27 years old, was scheduled to make his debut major league start. Lee had made two regular-season and two postseason appearances during his big league career. Lee had not appeared in a major league game since July 2017, when he was in Class A.
___
3:55 p.m.
Dylan Lee, a lefty from the Atlanta Braves, who made his major league debut in the last weekend of the regular season, will be the first pitcher to make his first major-league start in the World Series. He will face the Houston Astros in Game 4.
According to the Elias Sports Bureau, his two regular season appearances in the major league are the most for a Series starter. Marty Bystom of Philadelphia allowed six runs in five innings in a no decision against Kansas City in Game 5, 1980. This was a 4-3 win for the Phillies. Steven Matz of the Mets gave up two runs in five innings against Kansas City in Game 4, 2015, which ended in a 5-3 win for the Royals.
This will be Lee's first start in four years, after he pitched five innings in Class A Greensboro's win against Asheville on July 23, 2017.
The Braves trailed 2-1 in Series and were short of starting pitchers before Charlie Morton broke his leg in Tuesday's Game 1. Atlanta plans to put together relievers for Games 4 and 5, and Max Fried and Ian Anderson are available for Games 6 and 7.
Astros veteran Zack Greinke was scheduled to start.
Lee was a 10th-round selection by Miami in 2016's amateur draft from Fresno State. He was 5-1 with a 1.54 ERA and 34 relief appearances for Triple-A Gwinnett this year. On Oct. 1, he made his big league debut at the New York Mets. He allowed one run in an inning that was scoreless and the Braves were down by two runs.
Lee entered the eighth on the following day, with the Braves leading by five runs. Lee gave up Francisco Lindor's triple and Michael Confortos homerun.
This rookie pitcher has pitched in the postseason twice. Lee relieved Atlanta, trailing Los Angeles Dodgers 6-2 in five innings of NL Championship Series Game 5. He allowed one run in two innings and was hit by Chris Taylor's solo homer.
Lee relieved the game with two outs and no outs in sixth inning of World Series Game 2 and threw 13 pitches for five batters. Yuli Gurriel's grounder scored one inherited runner.
___
3:20 p.m.
Truist Park has a tarp on the field in case of light rain before Game 4 in the World Series.
The weather forecast predicts that the wet weather will clear before gametime.
Some Astros players are easing up on the left field line in foul territory.
Rain canceled batting practice for Game 3 on Friday. It was a dark night in Atlanta as the Braves defeated Houston 2-0.
Two games are won by the Braves to one.
___
More AP MLB: https://apnews.com/hub/MLB and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports
