The Atlanta Braves are in the National League Championship Series for the second straight year after a comeback 5-4 win over the Milwaukee Brewers on Tuesday. And they have the first baseman Freddie Freeman to thank for that.
The Braves were twice behind but responded each time and managed to make it 4-4 by the bottom of the fifth. After a scoreless two innings, Freeman took the stage and hit a solo homer off a pitch from the Brewers’ All-Star Josh Hader in the bottom of the eighth.
With a 5-4 lead in hand, Atlanta sent out closer Will Smith to finish the job, and the celebration could start.
As ESPN points out, Freeman’s homer was the first in the Braves’ history that came in the eighth inning or later and secured a win in a postseason series. It was also the first time that Hader allowed a home run in the playoffs.
“I’ve had a lot of cool moments in my career, but so far I think that’s going to top them right there,” Freeman told reporters after the game. “But hopefully that’s not the last cool one.”
The Braves now get a do-over after they were eliminated in 2020’s NLCS by the Los Angeles Dodgers in seven games. They will face the Dodgers again on Saturday night.
The Brewers, on the other hand, end their postseason run earlier than they have envisioned after winning NL Central with 95 wins.
