As the Atlanta Braves prepare for the 2023 postseason, we thought it would be fun to look back on some of the most exciting moments from the 2021 playoffs that resulted in the second World Series Championship in franchise history.
There are plenty of great memories and moments to choose from as 2021 was one of the most eventful seasons for Atlanta. They reconstructed their entire outfield and barely hovered at the .500 mark during the first half.
They turned things around in a big way that second half and produced one of the most exciting postseason runs ever seen. Let's relive some of those now.
The Path to World Champs
5. Tyler Matzek Strikes Out the Side
In 2021, the Braves were facing the Dodgers in the NLCS. Luke Jackson had gotten the Braves into a mess as he allowed the Dodgers to get runners on 2nd and 3rd with no one out. Tyler Matzek was summoned from the Atlanta bullpen in the 7th inning with a two-run lead.
Things did not look promising for the Braves with their backs against the wall and a powerful Dodgers lineup at the dish. However, they ran into the human wall that is Tyler Matzek.
Matzek did not back down and ended up striking out Albert Pujols, Steven Souza, and Mookie Betts to leave the tying run stranded in scoring position. This sent Truist Park into a frenzy as this became a defining moment of the 2021 postseason.
4. Eddie Rosario 3-run Blast in NLCS
The NLCS in 2021 brought a lot of excitement. Both teams brought their A-game for the entire series and Game 6 was no different. In a tie game with 2 outs and 2 strikes, Eddie Rosario sent the Atlanta faithful into a frenzy with a go-ahead three-run shot. This home run was the turning point in the game which led the Braves to a World Series appearance.
This is the moment that immortalized Eddie Rosario into Braves legend. It's the reason fans still chant "Eddie! Eddie! Eddie!" every time he's up to bat. He can strike with a clutch hit at a moment's notice. That home run gave Rosario 14 hits in the NLCS which was the most by any Braves player in a single series in the playoffs.