The Braves franchise has been around for over 100 years, experiencing a wild amount of success since its inception. Depending on your age, every fan has a moment that lives in their head on repeat. For many in Braves Country, that game was the clinching Game 6 of the 2021 NLCS, or what I like to call “The Nutsack Game.”
To jog your memory:
Game 6 of the 2021 NLCS vs the Dodgers to watch Tyler Matzek https://t.co/Tr8DaqJH21 pic.twitter.com/nhkt4bo0kT
— noah maddox (fake parody) (@noahmaddox23) June 19, 2023
Tyler Matzek entered the seventh inning in relief of Luke Jackson, who just put runners on second and third with nobody out. With the pressure of the entire city lying on his shoulders, Matzek needed just 11 pitches to strike out the next three batters, including former AL MVP Mookie Betts, who whiffed on a 98 MPH fastball right down broadway to end the inning.
Betts now has his own podcast, where he interviews players from around the league. Recently, former Braves shortstop Dansby Swanson joined him, and Betts finally felt like it was a good time, two-and-a-half years later, to address what happened on that brisk fall night.
https://twitter.com/BRWalkoff/status/1767641717480808857
Matzek was unhittable on that day. Everybody in the park knew what was coming, including one of the best players in the history of the sport, and there was nothing he could do about it. At that point, it really felt like it was meant to be for the 2021 Braves, who had overcome so much adversity throughout the entire season just to get to that opportunity.
I was in the building, and it may have been the most iconic moment in Truist Park history to date. The building was shaking, random people who just met a couple of hours before were hugging like they were at their best friend’s wedding, shirts were off, and tears were rolling down the faces of fans who could feel a trip to the World Series at their fingertips.
It was one of those moments you can look back on as a fan and say, “Damn, sports are fucking awesome.”
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Photo: Rich von Biberstein/Icon Sportswire
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