Atlanta Braves manager Brian Snitker and star Freddie Freeman lauded the team's resilience in overcoming obstacles on the road to winning their first World Series since 1995.
The Braves claimed the best-of-seven World Series 4-2 thanks to a 7-0 win over the Houston Astros in Game 6, becoming the eighth side in a row to clinch the title away from home.
The triumph is Atlanta's first championship in 26 years, while it comes after they lost star outfield Ronaldo Acuna Jr. in July due to an anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) injury along with starting pitcher Charlie Morton to a fractured fibula in Game 1 of the World Series.
Atlanta had off-field issues too, with two-time All-Star Marcell Ozuna placed on the commissioner's exempt list after being arrested and charged with aggravated assault in May.
The Braves traded in Alex Duvall and acquired Joc Pederson in July, with both hitting three home runs during the postseason, along with 10 and nine RBIs respectively.
"These guys never gave up on themselves. We used a lot of guys," Snitker said during the post-game ceremony.
"We lost a lot of pieces over the course of the summer. It was just the next man up. These guys never stopped believing in themselves.
"They never stopped working. I've got a rock star coaching staff that make sure these guys stay consistent every day. They always played the game the way you're supposed to play it."
Freeman, who has been with the Braves since 2010 and won last season's National League (NL) MVP, hailed the side's resilience.
"I think the most gratifying thing is this team, we hit every pothole, every bump that could've happened this year," Freeman said. "Injuries, everything that could've gone wrong. We overcame every single one of those things.
"This group came very single day, prepared and worked and worked and worked and ended up world champions."
Freeman, who padded the lead with a seventh-inning solo home run, added: "This is what you dream about every single year. You come to spring training wanting this to happen and it happened this year.
"It means everything. We've been waiting for a championship in this city for a long time. I'm glad we delivered it."
Snitker has spent all of his 45 seasons in professional baseball with the Braves, including the past six years as manager.
"It takes a lot to make this happen," Snitker said. "I'm very proud of our organisation and this club. There's nothing better. We're world champions."
Jorge Soler was named World Series MVP after hitting three go-ahead home runs across the six games. He becomes the second Cuban to claim the honour, behind Livan Hernandez with the Florida Marlins in 1997.
Soler also becomes the sixth player to hit three or more go-ahead home runs in a World Series, joining Babe Ruth (1926), Lou Gehrig (1928), Gene Tenace (1972), Curtis Granderson (2015) and George Springer (2017).
"I was just really focused during that at-bat," Soler said about his third-inning go-ahead three-run blast. "I feel like he'd thrown my every pitch he had in his arsenal so I just kept fouling the pitchers off and eventually got to that 3-2 count and he hung the slider and I was able to drive it."
Afghanistan advance to Super 8s and seal New Zealand elimination
Afghanistan booked their place in the T20 World Cup Super 8s with a seven-wicket victory over Papua New Guinea, while eliminating New Zealand from the competition.
Rashid Khan's side claimed a third successive win to maintain their perfect start in Group C, which they top ahead of co-hosts West Indies with a superior net run-rate.
Afghanistan chose to bowl and made a fast start in San Fernando, dismissing captain Assad Vala, Lega Siaka and Sese Bau within four balls to leave the Barramundis at 12-3 early in the third over.
Wicketkeeper Kiplin Doriga top-scored with 27, before they were bowled out for 95.
Their opponents were also steady out of the blocks, having been reduced to 22-2 inside the third over.
However, Gulbadin Naib's unbeaten 49 from 36 balls - featuring four fours and two sixes - steadied the ship, while his unbroken stand of 46 with Mohammed Nabi helped get Afghanistan comfortably over the line.
Data Debrief: Farooqi leads the charge to condemn Black Caps to early exit
Fazalhaq Farooqi (3-16) led from Afghanistan's field again, with the tournament's leading wicket taker increasing his tally to 12 from three innings.
The side note to their victory was the sealing of New Zealand's fate with a match to spare.
Runners-up in 2021 and semi-finalists in the last three tournaments, it is the first time the Black Caps have failed to advance beyond the first group stage at the T20 World Cup.
MLB: Garcia's double gives Royals walk-off win over Yankees
Maikel Garcia delivered a walk-off two-run double off New York Yankees closer Clay Holmes and the Kansas City Royals rallied to avoid a four-game sweep with a 4-3 victory on Thursday.
Holmes retired Freddy Fermin to open the ninth before Drew Waters reached on an infield hit after Holmes and first baseman Anthony Rizzo were confused about who would field the ball. After a fielder’s choice for the second out, Kyle Isbel singled to put runners on the corners and Garcia hit a liner down the left-field line to score both runners.
Alex Marsh took a no-hitter into the seventh against the major league-best Yankees (49-22), who outscored the Royals 25-8 in the first three games of the series. Juan Soto’s leadoff single in the seventh ended his no-hit bid and Marsh retired the next three batters to conclude his 96-pitch outing.
Rizzo homered in the eighth to get New York within 2-1 and an error by second baseman Garrett Hampson set up Anthony Volpe’s RBI grounder. Soto’s RBI single gave the Yankees a 3-2 lead.
The Royals snapped a four-game skid and the Yankees lost for only the third time in 15 games.
White Sox overcome blown save, top Mariners
Garrett Crochet struck out a career-high 13 over seven innings and Andrew Vaughn homered and drove in the winning run in the 10th inning to lift the Chicago White Sox to a 3-2 win over the Seattle Mariners.
Crochet continued his breakout season by allowing one run and two hits with two walks in a 102-pitch outing. He fanned double digits for the third time in his last four starts and held an opponent to one earned run or less for the seventh time in his last eight games.
His one big mistake came in the fifth when rookie Tyler Locklear golfed a changeup out to left field for his first career home run.
Crochet was denied the win when Michael Kopech served up Julio Rodriguez’s solo home run with one out in the ninth inning.
Nicky Lopez’s single moved automatic runner Korey Lee to third with one out in the 10th, and he scored on Vaughn’s grounder to third.
Tanner Banks struck out two in a perfect 10th for his second save.
Luis Robert Jr. and Vaughn hit back-to-back home runs in the third off Emerson Hancock to give Chicago a 2-0 lead.
Braves cool Orioles, end skid
Reynaldo Lopez pitched two-hit ball over six scoreless innings and Ozzie Albies had four hits as the Atlanta Braves snapped a five-game losing streak with a 6-3 win over the Baltimore Orioles.
Lopez allowed only two singles and retired 14 consecutive batters at one point to lower his ERA to 1.69. He walked one and matched a season high with eight strikeouts.
Joe Jimenez worked the eighth and Raisel Iglesias pitched the ninth for his 17th save.
Marcell Ozuna had a two-run double in the first inning and the Braves’ 12 hits were their most since June 1.
Kyle Stowers hit a three-run homer for the Orioles, who had won a season-best six in a row.
MLB: Cowser's home run lifts Orioles to 6th straight win
Late replacement Colton Cowser belted a tiebreaking two-run homer in the eighth inning to lift the Baltimore Orioles to their season-best sixth straight win, 4-2 over the struggling Atlanta Braves on Wednesday night.
Cower entered as a defensive replacement in the top of the eighth and, in his first at-bat of the night, drilled a shot over the wall in right-center field to score Ryan Mountcastle, who singled. Michael Harris II nearly made a leaping catch at the wall with the ball just touching his glove.
The Orioles have outscored opponents 33-9 during the six-game streak, outhomering foes 11-3.
Cade Povich was masterful in his second career start, allowing five hits over six scoreless innings with no walks and six strikeouts.
Craig Kimbrel worked a perfect ninth for his 16th save in 19 chances. He has given up just one earned run and two hits in his last 12 appearances, spanning 11 innings.
Keegan Akin surrendered Matt Olson’s two-run homer in the top of the eighth, but those were the only runs for the Braves, who have lost five in a row for the first time since 2017.
Atlanta is 0 for 15 with runners in scoring position and has left 18 runners on in the first two games of this series.
Seager homers in return as Rangers hold on
Corey Seager hit a go-ahead, three-run homer against his former team in his return to the lineup and the Texas Rangers held on for a 3-2 win over the Los Angeles Dodgers.
Shohei Ohtani’s home run in the first inning off Jon Gray stood as the game’s only run until the fifth, when Leody Taveras singled with one out, stole second and Marcus Semien reached on an error by third baseman Cavan Biggio.
Seager sent Walker Buehler’s 3-2 pitch over the wall in right field for a 3-1 lead in his first game back at Dodger Stadium since leaving to sign a 10-year contract with the Rangers in December 2021.
Seager missed the past four games with a left hamstring injury.
The Dodgers nearly tied it in the ninth but Andy Pages ran through a stop sign and was thrown out at home as the potential tying run for the final out on Jason Heyward’s RBI double.
Biggio made his Dodgers debut after he was acquired from Toronto on Wednesday.
Abrams lifts streaking Nationals over Tigers
CJ Abrams homered and doubled and the Washington Nationals held on for their fifth consecutive win, 7-5 over the Detroit Tigers.
The Nationals have their first five-game winning streak since June 19-24, 2021. They haven’t won six in a row since an eight-game run from Sept. 23-29, 2019 – the year they won the World Series.
Jake Irvin allowed one run and six hits over six innings with one walk and five strikeouts. Kyle Finnegan gave up Riley Greene’s solo homer in the ninth but finished for his 19th save.
Matt Vierling also homered for the Tigers, who have lost five of six.
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