The series we’ve all been waiting for continues on! The Braves have taken advantage of a home game in the third game of this series, and now they led 2-1. The Braves won the first game, 6-2, then the Astros hit back instantly, winning the second game, 7-2. In Game Three, it was a low scoring affair that saw the Braves get over the line, 2-0. Looking at the outright World Series winner, the Braves are now the favorites, at -180, with the Astros back as the underdogs, at +160.
Look below to find our free MLB picks for tonight’s World Series Game Four between the Houston Astros and the Atlanta Braves!
Houston Astros @ Atlanta Braves (Game 4) – 8.09pm EDT
The Astros and Braves are going tit for tat in the World Series so far, with the Braves winning the first, the Astros winning the second and the Braves winning again in the third. It was a much more low scoring game then we are used to seeing from these two teams, as Game Three only saw the Braves score two runs, and the Astros were scoreless.
Katherine Mouradian
The Braves now have the lead in this series, after winning Game Three, which was played in Atlanta. They look to put a stranglehold on the series by winning the forth game, and going up 3-1. Can the Astros recover from not only losing Game Three, but also not scoring a single run? Or will the Braves, who are playing at home again, assert their authority on the World Series?
It is likely that we will see Greinke on the mound for the Astros in Game Four. He is a bit of an unknown so far this postseason, as he has only pitched for 2.1 innings, and in that space he allowed two runs. Greinke gets the opportunity as McCullers Jr. is injured. Looking at Greinke’s stats in the regular season, he has performed well, with a 4.16 ERA, 1.17 WHIP, which helped him reach a record of 11-6. Greinke loves playing against the Braves, with his record at 4-1 in 11 starts.
King Tuck! 👑#ForTheH pic.twitter.com/Ks5nKoJ2kb
— Houston Astros (@astros) October 30, 2021
The Braves will be going for a bullpen start, which is likely due to the injury of Morton. We could see Smyly pitch for a number of the innings, and he has allowed one run in the singular innings he has pitched in this series. Smyly also has a 4.48 ERA and a 1.37 WHIP throughout the regular season. The Braves will be coming into this game with confidence, but they will need to get their batters to fire up as it is unlikely that the offensive power of the Astros will be quiet for two consecutive games.
It was a very interesting Game Three in terms of the runs scored – only two. But I think this game might tell a different story. We have a pitcher for the Astros that hasn’t performed much at all in the postseason, and the Braves are opting for a bullpen start. With offenses like the Astros and the Braves, I think they will go to town on each and every pitcher on the mound, so expect this to be a high scoring affair.
Katherine’s MLB Pick: Over 8.5 (-110)
Mike Su
The Braves taking a 1 game lead at home is no surprise after their phenomenal Game 1 performance where they stole the show from the Astros. Unlike the previous 2 games, this one turned out to be very low scoring with the Braves holding the league’s best batting unit to 0 runs. Ian Anderson provided a clinic where he didn’t allow a single run or hit in 5 innings. The Braves bullpen was almost as impressive with just 2 total hits allowed and no runs allowed. The Braves will now try to gain a 3-1 lead at home in Game 4 before heading back to Houston.
See you tomorrow, Braves Country!#BattleATL | #WorldSeries pic.twitter.com/ZPWaHaO4y5
— Atlanta Braves (@Braves) October 30, 2021
The Astros will be looking to equalize the series and the Astros will be starting Zack Greinke to try to steal a game in Atlanta. Greinke has been decent this year with a 4.16 ERA and 1.17 WHIP, but should be able to do enough to slow the Braves batters down. Greinke hasn’t been great in the playoffs with a 7.72 ERA and 2 runs allowed in 2 innings of play. Greinke will have a lot to prove in this key game.
However the key to this matchup won’t be the pitching but rather the Astros and their batting. The Braves aren’t going to put up huge numbers even with Greinke pitching. The Astros batters need to show some of their regular season form otherwise this one will go to the Braves. I think the Astros can turn it around and therefore, I have to pick them to equalize the series.
Mike’s MLB Pick: Houston Astros (-106)
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*Odds and spreads correct at time of publication, courtesy of FanDuel.
