Atlanta Braves Vs LA Dodgers: NLCS Game 1 10/16/21

Before I get started with the full post, I would like to say that if you’re on the fence about possibly attending game 6 or a potential game 7 in Atlanta, you will have zero regrets about buying a ticket. This is baseball at it’s best.

This post will be my last game of the season, and it ended with a big finish! However, I have some great plans to continue posts throughout the off season, and I’ll be live streaming more sports on Twitch, along with side casting games throughout the rest of the playoffs. I’m excited for this off season, and can’t wait to share! The off season always feels like a long time, but I’m hopeful that I can help make it go by faster. I also plan to share blog posts of hockey games. Check out the videos blow this paragraph! One is a full video of the live stream, and the other is a recap of the entire trip.

As I’m planning a list of my top stadiums this season, I think number one and two are very easy rankings. This trip to Atlanta will easily take number 2. The only experience that topped this game was the Field Of Dreams game. This was my first time experiencing Truist Park for a live game. The only other time I was at this stadium, was in 2018 when I stopped by to see the stadium. The team was on the road, and I was able to visit the team store. At that time, I knew it was completely necessary to visit Braves Country when the time was right. However, I did attend numerous games at Turner Field in 2015, and loved the atmosphere. In 2015, I could tell that there was something special in the making, and I knew it would only take a few years. The fans were still dedicated to their team, even during the tough times. If you go to the photos section of my website, there are old pictures from Turner Field, along with many other stadiums.

I was looking for a game to attend last week. I had some flight credit, along with a couple of free nights left over. In the playoffs, everything can change in a matter of minutes. I experienced this the first time when the Astros won against the Yankees in game 6 of the 2016 ALCS. As soon as the last out was made, I was booking a hotel room, and packing for Houston. This time, the biggest difference was Atlanta was a lot farther away. The Dodgers and Giants were in a close battle the entire game. I was side casting the game on Twitch, and started making the sudden plans as fast as I could. I decided to drive a couple days earlier, after looking at the logistics of everything. After the last out, I was packed, room booked, and everything ready to go within 2 hours.

It was a 12 hour drive from Iowa to Atlanta, and I had to go to work on Friday. Once work was done, I began driving to Nashville. Nashville was about 8 hours away, and a great stopping point for the night. The next day, I drove another 4 hours, and was checked into my room, and at the stadium 2 hours before game time for the live stream.

I had mixed feelings about Truist Park at the beginning. Like Texas, Turner Field was an iconic ballpark for a game, that was replaced with a modern stadium. Also, like Texas, the Braves did an amazing job showing their team’s history with Monument Garden. The stadium is surrounded by The Battery Atlanta, which is an entire baseball district. I’ll talk more about that later in the post.

The Braves had a small advantage at the beginning of this series. The Dodgers just got done with a huge 5 game series against the Giants, and the Braves had a few couple of extra days to get ready for this series. Before I even started driving to Georgia, I knew this would be a very special weekend. Listening to the radio broadcasts, you can hear the fans going crazy, especially while they do the chop. It’s one of the biggest traditions in all of baseball, and this fanbase is one of the best in baseball. The Dodgers had a bullpen game, which gave Braves Country a lot of opportunities to do the chop, during pitching changes.

In my last post, I mentioned how clean the game was played in the Brewers vs Braves NLDS game. This game was even better. It was a 2-2 game until the bottom of the 9th when Austin Riley hit a walk off single. The entire stadium went crazy, and it topped off a wild night! This was fall baseball at it’s best. It was about 45 degrees outside, and the ball wasn’t flying out of the stadium. There were a couple of home runs, but every pitch, and every move mattered in this game. This is what playoff baseball is all about. It’s unbelievable how much strategy is put into all of these games. I love a low scoring, clean game. The cold weather makes it even better. Overall, the Braves front office/scouting deserves so much credit for the moves they were able to make at the trade deadline. The execution of their strategy has been amazing to watch.

Austin Riley’s Walk Off Single

After the game, the party continued in Atlanta. The atmosphere felt like the Braves just won it all. MLB Network was outside of the stadium for their postgame show, and the fans were going crazy in the background. Back in 2014, I always wondered what the atmosphere would’ve been like if the Royals won game 7 of the World Series, while I was tailgating in the parking lot. That question was finally answered. However, the main difference was that the party continued at The Battery right outside of the stadium. Instead of having to go to downtown or different areas for a postgame party, the fans can stay right outside of the stadium.

I was considering staying in Atlanta for game 2. However, I wanted to be responsible, and get back home with an extra day. Then, the Braves walked it off again in game 2. At the time of this post, the Braves lead the series 3-2, and look to close out the series at home. It’s been a great series to watch, and a great way to close out my 2021 baseball season. This season has been full of many unbelievable experiences, and I can’t wait to share more in the off season! I’ll be recapping certain experiences on Twitch. If you don’t already, follow me on there to keep up with my live streams! Click here to see my Twitch page. As always, I’ll share all of the pictures below. Make sure to check out the YouTube videos at the top of the post for the full live stream, and recap videos!

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