Other than spring-training games, the Braves haven’t played the Houston Astros since a two-game inter-league series at Truist Park, then known as SunTrust Park, on July 4-5, 2017. The still-rebuilding Braves were no match for the Astros in that series, losing the first game 16-4 and the second one 10-4. The Braves’ starting pitchers were Sean Newcomb and Jaime Garcia.
But despite the lack of recent meetings between the Braves and Astros — the opponents in the World Series beginning Tuesday night in Houston — the teams share a postseason history that predates the Astros’ move to the American League in 2013.
The Braves and Astros met five times in the National League Division Series in a nine-season stretch from 1997 through 2005. The Braves handily won the first three of those series before the Astros won the last two.
It was, of course, a different era for both franchises. The Braves had three Hall of Fame-bound starting pitchers — Greg Maddux, Tom Glavine and John Smoltz — and the Astros had the “Killer B’s,” as the team led by All-Stars Craig Biggio and Jeff Bagwell was known.
Let’s revisit the previous Braves-Astros postseason series:
1997 NLDS: The Braves swept the best-of-five series in three games behind dominant starting pitching. Maddux pitched a complete game in the opener, allowing just one run. The Braves scored 13 runs in Game 2 and coasted to victory behind Glavine. Smoltz pitched a complete-game three-hitter in Game 3.
Credit: AJC staff
Credit: AJC staff
1999 NLDS: The Braves, bound for their last World Series before this year, dispatched the Astros in four games, winning three in a row after losing the series opener. The Braves’ Kevin Millwood pitched a one-hitter in Game 2, not allowing a hit after a Ken Caminiti homer in the second inning. The Braves won Game 3 on a two-out two-run double by Brian Jordan in the top of the 12th and a save from Millwood, who pitched out of the bullpen just two days after his complete-game one-hitter. Game 3 wouldn’t have made it to the 12th inning if not for a sensational diving defensive play and throw home by Braves shortstop Walt Weiss, now the team’s bench coach, with the bases full of Astros in the 10th. The Braves wrapped up the series in Game 4, which was the Astros’ last game ever in the famous Astrodome.
2001 NLDS: The Braves swept, giving them nine wins in 10 postseason games against Houston from 1997 through 2001. With Game 1 tied in the eighth inning at Houston, the Braves’ Chipper Jones hit a three-run homer off Astros fireballer Billy Wagner, later a Brave. Glavine and closer Smoltz combined on a shutout and a 1-0 win in Game 2.
2004 NLDS: The Astros won the series in five games, routing the Braves 12-3 in Game 5 by scoring four runs off Atlanta starter Jaret Wright and eight runs off the bullpen. Carlos Beltran hit two homers for Houston in the clinching game. Earlier, in Game 2 at Turner Field, the Braves’ Rafael Furcal hit a walk-off two-run homer in the 11th inning. The series marked the first time in Astros history that the team won a postseason round.
2005 NLDS: The Astros won in four games, beating the last of the Braves’ 14 consecutive division championship teams. The highlight of the series for the Braves was 21-year-old rookie catcher Brian McCann hitting a go-ahead three-run homer off 43-year-old legend Roger Clemens in the second inning of Game 2 at Turner Field, the only Atlanta win in the series. Game 4 in Houston became the longest postseason game in MLB history — an 18-inning marathon, a record since matched twice — before Astros rookie Chris Burke hit a walk-off homer off Braves rookie reliever Joey Devine. The game wouldn’t have gone into extra innings if not for a tying home run by the Astros’ Brad Ausmus off Kyle Farnsworth with two outs in the bottom of the ninth. The Braves and Astros haven’t played each other in the postseason since that marathon game — until Tuesday night in World Series Game 1.
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