The Houston Astros believe their manager Dusty Baker has some unfinished business after a tough 2021 World Series loss earlier this week. This is why the franchise decided to give him a new one-year deal and have the 72-year-old back in the dugout for 2022.

The Astros confirmed the news on their social media on Friday.

In a team-released statement, the team’s owner Jim Crane said that the franchise is “very, very excited” to have Baker back.

“He’s done a great job this last year,” Crane added. “Great in the locker room, great with the fans, great with the media.”

Baker took over as the Astros manager ahead of the shortened 2020 MLB season after AJ Hinch was fired for his role in the team’s notorious sign-stealing scandal. He was hired in part due to his ability to provide steady leadership, and he delivered in that regard while also having Houston playing some great baseball.

This was especially the case in 2021 when the Astros blitzed to the AL West title and then cruised to a World Series appearance. Still, they couldn’t make the final step and ended up losing to the Atlanta Braves in six games.

“Looking forward to being part of this organization and this city,” Baker said in a statement. “I have some tremendous ties here and have some unfinished business to take care of. But we’re close. We’re getting better and better every year.”

Dusty Baker previously also managed the San Francisco Giants, the Cincinnati Reds, the Chicago Cubs, and the Washington Nationals. He was honored with the NL Manager of the Year award three times, while his 1,987 career wins currently rank at number 12 for most in MLB history.

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It sure looked like the 2021 World Series would end on Sunday night. The Atlanta Braves, already holding a 3-1 lead in the series, stormed into Game 5 with a Grand Slam in the first inning and positioned themselves to have a huge celebration at their home park. But the Houston Astros just were not willing to give up.

With their backs against the wall, the Astros bounced back in an impressive fashion and claimed a 9-5 win to keep their World Series hopes alive. They now travel back to Houston, where they will have to get another win on Tuesday if they want to force a deciding Game 7.

The Braves took the lead at the bottom of the first when Adam Duvall hit a 377-foot home run and became the only player in franchise history besides Lonnie Smith to have a Grand Slam in the World Series.

Houston didn’t get discouraged, however, and slowly cut into Atlanta’s lead to make it 4-4 at the top of the third.

The Braves then took the lead again thanks to Freddie Freeman’s 460-foot homer at the bottom of the third. This was also Freeman’s longest homer of the season.

After that, it was all Houston. After Martin Maldonado walked to make it 5-5 at the top of the fifth, Marwin Gonzalez singled and got the Astros into the driving seat.

Maldonado singled at the top of the seventh, and Carlos Correa singled at the top of the eighth to wrap it up for the Astros.

“Before the game we talked and we said, ‘We’re not gonna give up,'” Correa, who finished with three hits, said after the game. “We’re gonna go out there fighting.”

This was the first postseason loss at home for the Braves, but manager Brian Snitker believes this game won’t affect his team’s ability to finish the job and give Atlanta its first World Series win since 1995.

“If we win the World Series, it doesn’t matter where it is,” Snitker said. “I’d have loved to have done it in front of our fans. Hopefully, we can do it the next couple of days.”

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No team has ever come back from 3-0 in the World Series and the Houston Astros didn’t want to be the first team to try to do that. Behind clutch hitting and great pitching from Zack Greinke and the bullpen, they made winning the series much more doable by putting the series at 2-1.

After leading the majors with 107 wins and putting together one of the most complete teams in baseball history, Houston looked very beatable in Games 1 and 2 with Gerrit Cole and Justin Verlander losing at home.

While Houston made a couple of critical fielding errors and couldn’t hit with runners in scoring position in the first 2 games, it was Washington who copied those mistakes in Game 3. Juan Soto, celebrating his 21st birthday, made a couple of defensive miscues, and the Nats went 0-for-10 with runners in scoring position and stranded 12.

The Astros scored in 4 different innings behind Michael Brantley’s 2 RBIs and Robinson Chirinos’ home run off the left-field foul pole. They didn’t overpower the Nationals, but the first win in any series is critical, and the 4-1 win is enough to get the team back on track.

After losing the first World Series game in the nation’s capital since 1933, the Nats will look to take a 3-1 series lead behind prized free agent Patrick Corbin who is scheduled to start. The Astros will counter with rookie Jose Urquidy and probably go to their bullpen early in an effort to even up the series and send it back to Houston.

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Houston Astros defeated the Los Angeles Dodgers in the Game 7 and won their first World Series. This is an amazing feat achieved by Astros considering that the franchise lost 111 games just four years before. Also, this was only the second time Astros reached the World Series, the first appearance being 55 years ago. On Wednesday night, however, Astros looked like they were playing World Series every year and smoothly overrun the Dodgers.

“It’s unbelievable, indescribable,” – Astros center fielder and World Series MVP George Springer said. “This was a dogfight. It’s physically draining, emotionally draining. With the wildness of this series, the wackiness of this series, the emotional up and downs, being able to play in this is something I will never, ever forget, even if this is the only time I will ever get here.“

The Astros finished the season with a 101-61 record and faced the Boston Red Sox in the 2nd round of American League playoffs. After winning the series 3-1, they faced the New York Yankees in the AL Championship Series which ended 4-3.

The 2017 World Series was the first time since 1970 that the two teams with 100+ wins record met. It was also the first time that two teams with 100 or more wins met in the World Series Game 7 since 1931.

Dodgers were 104 wins team and came just one win short of their all-time record. Despite losing the World Series, the Dodgers manager Dave Roberts believes his team is made for greatness.

“The character of the guys, the talent, and the nucleus is still intact,” – said Roberts. “I like our guys. I believe in our team. And I expect us to be in the same position next year.“

The post Houston Astros Win Their First World Series appeared first on SportzBonanza.

The Houston Astros believe their manager Dusty Baker has some unfinished business after a tough 2021 World Series loss earlier this week. This is why the franchise decided to give him a new one-year deal and have the 72-year-old back in the dugout for 2022.

The Astros confirmed the news on their social media on Friday.

In a team-released statement, the team’s owner Jim Crane said that the franchise is “very, very excited” to have Baker back.

“He’s done a great job this last year,” Crane added. “Great in the locker room, great with the fans, great with the media.”

Baker took over as the Astros manager ahead of the shortened 2020 MLB season after AJ Hinch was fired for his role in the team’s notorious sign-stealing scandal. He was hired in part due to his ability to provide steady leadership, and he delivered in that regard while also having Houston playing some great baseball.

This was especially the case in 2021 when the Astros blitzed to the AL West title and then cruised to a World Series appearance. Still, they couldn’t make the final step and ended up losing to the Atlanta Braves in six games.

“Looking forward to being part of this organization and this city,” Baker said in a statement. “I have some tremendous ties here and have some unfinished business to take care of. But we’re close. We’re getting better and better every year.”

Dusty Baker previously also managed the San Francisco Giants, the Cincinnati Reds, the Chicago Cubs, and the Washington Nationals. He was honored with the NL Manager of the Year award three times, while his 1,987 career wins currently rank at number 12 for most in MLB history.

The post Astros Give Manager Dusty Baker New One-Year Deal appeared first on SportzBonanza.

It sure looked like the 2021 World Series would end on Sunday night. The Atlanta Braves, already holding a 3-1 lead in the series, stormed into Game 5 with a Grand Slam in the first inning and positioned themselves to have a huge celebration at their home park. But the Houston Astros just were not willing to give up.

With their backs against the wall, the Astros bounced back in an impressive fashion and claimed a 9-5 win to keep their World Series hopes alive. They now travel back to Houston, where they will have to get another win on Tuesday if they want to force a deciding Game 7.

The Braves took the lead at the bottom of the first when Adam Duvall hit a 377-foot home run and became the only player in franchise history besides Lonnie Smith to have a Grand Slam in the World Series.

Houston didn’t get discouraged, however, and slowly cut into Atlanta’s lead to make it 4-4 at the top of the third.

The Braves then took the lead again thanks to Freddie Freeman’s 460-foot homer at the bottom of the third. This was also Freeman’s longest homer of the season.

After that, it was all Houston. After Martin Maldonado walked to make it 5-5 at the top of the fifth, Marwin Gonzalez singled and got the Astros into the driving seat.

Maldonado singled at the top of the seventh, and Carlos Correa singled at the top of the eighth to wrap it up for the Astros.

“Before the game we talked and we said, ‘We’re not gonna give up,'” Correa, who finished with three hits, said after the game. “We’re gonna go out there fighting.”

This was the first postseason loss at home for the Braves, but manager Brian Snitker believes this game won’t affect his team’s ability to finish the job and give Atlanta its first World Series win since 1995.

“If we win the World Series, it doesn’t matter where it is,” Snitker said. “I’d have loved to have done it in front of our fans. Hopefully, we can do it the next couple of days.”

The post Astros Survive Braves’ 1st Inning Grand Slam to Keep World Series Hopes Alive appeared first on SportzBonanza.

No team has ever come back from 3-0 in the World Series and the Houston Astros didn’t want to be the first team to try to do that. Behind clutch hitting and great pitching from Zack Greinke and the bullpen, they made winning the series much more doable by putting the series at 2-1.

After leading the majors with 107 wins and putting together one of the most complete teams in baseball history, Houston looked very beatable in Games 1 and 2 with Gerrit Cole and Justin Verlander losing at home.

While Houston made a couple of critical fielding errors and couldn’t hit with runners in scoring position in the first 2 games, it was Washington who copied those mistakes in Game 3. Juan Soto, celebrating his 21st birthday, made a couple of defensive miscues, and the Nats went 0-for-10 with runners in scoring position and stranded 12.

The Astros scored in 4 different innings behind Michael Brantley’s 2 RBIs and Robinson Chirinos’ home run off the left-field foul pole. They didn’t overpower the Nationals, but the first win in any series is critical, and the 4-1 win is enough to get the team back on track.

After losing the first World Series game in the nation’s capital since 1933, the Nats will look to take a 3-1 series lead behind prized free agent Patrick Corbin who is scheduled to start. The Astros will counter with rookie Jose Urquidy and probably go to their bullpen early in an effort to even up the series and send it back to Houston.

The post Astros Win Game 3 in DC, Series Now 2-1 Nationals appeared first on SportzBonanza.

Houston Astros defeated the Los Angeles Dodgers in the Game 7 and won their first World Series. This is an amazing feat achieved by Astros considering that the franchise lost 111 games just four years before. Also, this was only the second time Astros reached the World Series, the first appearance being 55 years ago. On Wednesday night, however, Astros looked like they were playing World Series every year and smoothly overrun the Dodgers.

“It’s unbelievable, indescribable,” – Astros center fielder and World Series MVP George Springer said. “This was a dogfight. It’s physically draining, emotionally draining. With the wildness of this series, the wackiness of this series, the emotional up and downs, being able to play in this is something I will never, ever forget, even if this is the only time I will ever get here.“

The Astros finished the season with a 101-61 record and faced the Boston Red Sox in the 2nd round of American League playoffs. After winning the series 3-1, they faced the New York Yankees in the AL Championship Series which ended 4-3.

The 2017 World Series was the first time since 1970 that the two teams with 100+ wins record met. It was also the first time that two teams with 100 or more wins met in the World Series Game 7 since 1931.

Dodgers were 104 wins team and came just one win short of their all-time record. Despite losing the World Series, the Dodgers manager Dave Roberts believes his team is made for greatness.

“The character of the guys, the talent, and the nucleus is still intact,” – said Roberts. “I like our guys. I believe in our team. And I expect us to be in the same position next year.“

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