The 2021 National League Division Series were two best-of-five-games series in
Major League Baseball
Major League Baseball (MLB) is a professional baseball league composed of 30 teams, divided equally between the National League (baseball), National League (NL) and the American League (AL), with 29 in the United States and 1 in Canada. MLB i ...
(MLB) to determine the participating teams of the
2021 National League Championship Series. The three divisional winners, seeded first through third, and a fourth team — determined by the
NL Wild Card Game — played in two series. These matchups were:
* (1)
San Francisco Giants
The San Francisco Giants are an American professional baseball team based in San Francisco. The Giants compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (baseball), National League (NL) National League West, West Div ...
(
NL West champions) vs. (4)
Los Angeles Dodgers
The Los Angeles Dodgers are an American professional baseball team based in Los Angeles. The Dodgers compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (baseball), National League (NL) National League West, West Div ...
(Wild Card Game winner): Dodgers win series 3–2.
* (2)
Milwaukee Brewers
The Milwaukee Brewers are an American professional baseball team based in Milwaukee. The Brewers compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (baseball), National League (NL) National League Central, Central Di ...
(
NL Central
The National League Central is one of Major League Baseball's six divisions. This division was created in 1994, by moving two teams from the National League West (the Cincinnati Reds and the Houston Astros) and three teams from the National Le ...
champions) vs. (3)
Atlanta Braves
The Atlanta Braves are an American professional baseball team based in the Atlanta metropolitan area. The Braves compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (baseball), National League (NL) National League Eas ...
(
NL East
The National League East is one of Major League Baseball's six divisions. Along with the American League Central, it is one of two divisions to have every member win at least one World Series title.
After having internal, informal divisions for ...
champions): Braves win series 3–1.
The team with the better regular season record (higher seed) of each series hosted Games 1, 2, and (if necessary) 5, while the lower seeded team hosted Game 3 and 4.
The Braves would go on to defeat the Dodgers in six games in the
2021 National League Championship Series, and would then defeat the
American League
The American League of Professional Baseball Clubs, known simply as the American League (AL), is the younger of two sports leagues, leagues constituting Major League Baseball (MLB) in the United States and Canada. It developed from the Western L ...
champion
Houston Astros
The Houston Astros are an American professional baseball team based in Houston. The Astros compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) American League West, West Division. They are one of two major leag ...
in six games in the
2021 World Series
The 2021 World Series was the championship series of Major League Baseball's (MLB) 2021 Major League Baseball season, 2021 season. The 117th World Series was a best-of-seven playoff between the National League (baseball), National League (NL) c ...
.
Background
Seeds 1–3 were determined by regular season
winning percentage
In sports, a winning percentage or Copeland score is the fraction of games or matches a team or individual has won. The statistic is commonly used in standings or rankings to compare teams or individuals. It is defined as wins divided by the to ...
s among division-winning teams. The final team was the winner of the
National League Wild Card Game, played between the league's fourth and fifth-seeded teams.
The
Milwaukee Brewers
The Milwaukee Brewers are an American professional baseball team based in Milwaukee. The Brewers compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (baseball), National League (NL) National League Central, Central Di ...
clinched the
National League Central
The National League Central is one of Major League Baseball's six divisions. This division was created in 1994, by moving two teams from the National League West (the Cincinnati Reds and the Houston Astros) and three teams from the National Le ...
and the 2 seed in the NL on September 26 via their 95–67 record. The
Atlanta Braves
The Atlanta Braves are an American professional baseball team based in the Atlanta metropolitan area. The Braves compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (baseball), National League (NL) National League Eas ...
clinched the
National League East
The National League East is one of Major League Baseball's six divisions. Along with the American League Central, it is one of two divisions to have every member win at least one World Series title.
After having internal, informal divisions for ...
and the 3 seed in the NL on September 30 via their 88–73 record. The Brewers and Braves were tied in their season series, with both winning three games each.
The
San Francisco Giants
The San Francisco Giants are an American professional baseball team based in San Francisco. The Giants compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (baseball), National League (NL) National League West, West Div ...
clinched the
National League West
The National League West is one of Major League Baseball's six divisions. This division was created for the 1969 season when the National League (baseball), National League (NL) expanded to 12 teams by adding the San Diego Padres and the Montr ...
and home-field advantage throughout the entire playoffs with a 107–55 record on October 3, the last day of the regular season. The
Los Angeles Dodgers
The Los Angeles Dodgers are an American professional baseball team based in Los Angeles. The Dodgers compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (baseball), National League (NL) National League West, West Div ...
defeated the
St. Louis Cardinals
The St. Louis Cardinals are an American professional baseball team based in St. Louis. The Cardinals compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (baseball), National League (NL) National League Central, Centra ...
in the
Wild Card Game
The Wild Card Series (formerly known as Wild Card Game from 2012 to 2019 and in 2021) are games that serve as the opening round of the Major League Baseball (MLB) postseason. A single wild card game was instituted in 2012. This became a best ...
, 3–1, to advance to the NLDS. The postseason match-up between the
two rivals was the first in their history and was a continuation of their battle over the NL West crown during the regular season. San Francisco won the season series over Los Angeles, 10–9.
The Giants made their first postseason appearance since
2016
2016 was designated as:
* International Year of Pulses by the sixty-eighth session of the United Nations General Assembly.
* International Year of Global Understanding (IYGU) by the International Council for Science (ICSU), the Internationa ...
. This was the Braves' fourth straight postseason appearance, having won the NL East each of those seasons. The Brewers made their fourth straight postseason appearance, extending a franchise record. Also extending a franchise streak of postseason appearances were the Dodgers, who made their ninth straight appearance.
Matchups
San Francisco Giants vs. Los Angeles Dodgers
Milwaukee Brewers vs. Atlanta Braves
San Francisco vs. Los Angeles
This was the first postseason match-up in the history of the
Dodgers-Giants rivalry and a continuation of the tight divisional race between the two rivals, which saw the Giants win a franchise-record 107 games and the Dodgers tie theirs at 106 wins. The Dodgers and Giants divisional race became only the fourth time a pair of 100 win teams in the same division were separated by one game, the others being:
1915
Events
Below, the events of World War I have the "WWI" prefix.
January
*January – British physicist Sir Joseph Larmor publishes his observations on "The Influence of Local Atmospheric Cooling on Astronomical Refraction".
*January 1
* ...
Red Sox/Tigers;
1962
The year saw the Cuban Missile Crisis, which is often considered the closest the world came to a Nuclear warfare, nuclear confrontation during the Cold War.
Events January
* January 1 – Samoa, Western Samoa becomes independent from Ne ...
Giants/Dodgers; and
1993
The United Nations General Assembly, General Assembly of the United Nations designated 1993 as:
* International Year for the World's Indigenous People
The year 1993 in the Kwajalein Atoll in the Marshall Islands had only 364 days, since its ...
Braves/Giants. The Giants won the season series, 10–9.
There had been no prior postseason match-ups between the two rivals in the modern era, but they had previously met with high stakes on the line. When the teams were located in New York, they met in the
1951 National League tie-breaker series
The 1951 National League tie-breaker series was a best-of-three playoff series that extended Major League Baseball's (MLB) 1951 regular season to decide the winner of the National League (NL) pennant. The games were played on October 1, 2, and ...
, due to both teams finishing with identical
win–loss records of 96–58. It is most famous for the
walk-off home run
In baseball, a walk-off home run is a home run that ends the game. For a home run to end the game, it must be hit in the bottom of the final inning and generate enough runs to exceed the opponent's score. Because the opponent will not have an opp ...
hit by
Bobby Thomson
Robert Brown Thomson (October 25, 1923 – August 16, 2010) was an American professional baseball player, nicknamed "the Staten Island Scot". He was an outfielder and right-handed batter for the New York Giants (1946–53, 1957), Milwaukee Brave ...
of the Giants in the deciding game, which has come to be known as baseball's "
Shot Heard 'Round the World
The "shot heard round the world" is a phrase that refers to the opening shot of the battles of Lexington and Concord on April 19, 1775, which sparked the American Revolutionary War and led to the creation of the United States. It originates fro ...
". In California, and with identical 101–61 records after 162 games, the teams met with a pennant on the line in the
1962 National League tie-breaker series
The 1962 National League tie-breaker series was a Playoff format#Best-of-three playoff, best-of-three playoff series that extended Major League Baseball's (MLB) 1962 Major League Baseball season, 1962 regular season to determine the winner of t ...
. The Giants closed out the series in Game 3 with a 6–4 victory to clinch their first pennant in San Francisco.
There were various connections between the two clubs, mainly due to the presence of the Giants' president of baseball operations,
Farhan Zaidi
Farhan Zaidi (born November 11, 1976) is a Canadian professional baseball executive. He has also served as president of baseball operations for the San Francisco Giants, general manager for the Los Angeles Dodgers, and as assistant general mana ...
. Zaidi was the Dodgers' general manager from 2014 to 2018. Giants manager
Gabe Kapler
Gabriel Stefan Kapler (born July 31, 1975), nicknamed "Kap", is an American former professional baseball outfielder and manager who serves as the assistant general manager of the Miami Marlins of Major League Baseball (MLB).
Kapler was a 57th- ...
was the Dodgers' director of player development from 2014 to 2017, where he had a hand in helping develop many of the Dodgers' homegrown players.
Additionally, managers
Gabe Kapler
Gabriel Stefan Kapler (born July 31, 1975), nicknamed "Kap", is an American former professional baseball outfielder and manager who serves as the assistant general manager of the Miami Marlins of Major League Baseball (MLB).
Kapler was a 57th- ...
and
Dave Roberts were both members of the famed
curse-breaking 2004 Red Sox (Roberts had been the pinch-runner who tied Game 4 of the ALCS, running for
Kevin Millar
Kevin Charles Millar (; born September 24, 1971) is an American former professional baseball first baseman and outfielder who played in Major League Baseball (MLB) and is a current analyst for MLB Network and NESN. He played in MLB for the Flor ...
who had walked).
The Dodgers and Giants 213 combined regular season wins were the most in MLB postseason series history, beating out the
1998 World Series
The 1998 World Series was the championship series of Major League Baseball's (MLB) 1998 season. The 94th edition of the World Series, it was a best-of-seven playoff between the American League (AL) champion New York Yankees and the National ...
between the
114–48 Yankees and
98–64 Padres (212 combined victories).
Game 1
Walker Buehler started for the Dodgers but the Giants pounced on him in the first inning, with a two-run homer by
Buster Posey. Buehler recovered after that and kept the Giants from scoring again until allowing a solo homer by
Kris Bryant
Kristopher Lee Bryant (born January 4, 1992), nicknamed "KB", is an American professional baseball designated hitter, outfielder, and third baseman for the Colorado Rockies of Major League Baseball (MLB). He has previously played in MLB for the ...
in the seventh. Overall he allowed the three runs in innings on six hits and one walk, while striking out five. The Giants added one more run on a homer by
Brandon Crawford off
Alex Vesia in the eighth. Meanwhile,
Logan Webb
Logan Tyler Webb (born November 18, 1996) is an American professional baseball pitcher for the San Francisco Giants of Major League Baseball (MLB). He was drafted by the Giants out of high school in the fourth round of the 2014 Major League Baseb ...
pitched for the Giants and completely dominated the Dodgers, allowing five hits in scoreless innings while striking out 10. The Giants took game one, 4–0.
Game 2
Julio Urías started the second game for the Dodgers and only allowed one run on three hits in five innings, with five strikeouts.
Kevin Gausman for the Giants allowed four runs in innings. The Dodgers scored the first two runs in the second on RBI singles by Urías and
Mookie Betts
Markus Lynn "Mookie" Betts (born October 7, 1992) is an American professional baseball outfielder, shortstop, and second baseman for the Los Angeles Dodgers of Major League Baseball (MLB). He has previously played in MLB for the Boston Red Sox. ...
with the Giants getting one back in the bottom of the inning on a sacrifice fly by
Donovan Solano. The Dodgers then scored four runs in the sixth on back-to-back doubles by
Cody Bellinger and
A. J. Pollock and they added three more in the eighth on a
Will Smith
Willard Carroll Smith II (born September 25, 1968) is an American actor, rapper, and film producer. Known for his work in both Will Smith filmography, the screen and Will Smith discography, music industries, List of awards and nominations re ...
homer and RBI singles by
Matt Beaty and
Corey Seager
Corey Drew Seager (born April 27, 1994) is an American professional baseball shortstop for the Texas Rangers of Major League Baseball (MLB). He has previously played in MLB for the Los Angeles Dodgers. He is often regarded as one of the best sh ...
off of relievers
Zack Littell
Zachary Stuart Littell (born October 5, 1995) is an American professional baseball pitcher for the Tampa Bay Rays of Major League Baseball (MLB). He has previously played in MLB for the Minnesota Twins, San Francisco Giants, and Boston Red Sox. L ...
and
Jarlin García. The Giants scored on a Crawford single off
Joe Kelly in the sixth but lost the game 9–2 to even up the series.
Game 3
Max Scherzer
Maxwell Martin Scherzer (born July 27, 1984), nicknamed "Mad Max", is an American professional baseball pitcher for the Toronto Blue Jays of Major League Baseball (MLB). He has previously played in MLB for the Arizona Diamondbacks, Detroit Tige ...
allowed only three hits and one walk in seven innings while striking out 10. However, one of the hits he allowed was a solo home run by
Evan Longoria
Evan Michael Longoria (born October 7, 1985), nicknamed "Longo", is an American former professional baseball third baseman who played 16 seasons in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Tampa Bay Rays, San Francisco Giants, and Arizona Diamondbac ...
in the fifth inning.
Alex Wood and three relievers combined to hold the Dodgers scoreless for the second time in the series and the Giants took back the lead with a 1–0 victory.
Game 4
In Game 4, the Dodgers jumped out to an early lead on a first inning RBI double by
Trea Turner
Trea Vance Turner (born June 30, 1993) is an American professional baseball shortstop for the Philadelphia Phillies of Major League Baseball (MLB). He has previously played for the Washington Nationals and Los Angeles Dodgers. At the internation ...
and a second inning sacrifice fly by
Chris Taylor, driving Giants starter
Anthony DeSclafani out of the game after just innings, having allowed the two runs on five hits. A two-run homer by
Mookie Betts
Markus Lynn "Mookie" Betts (born October 7, 1992) is an American professional baseball outfielder, shortstop, and second baseman for the Los Angeles Dodgers of Major League Baseball (MLB). He has previously played in MLB for the Boston Red Sox. ...
in the fourth inning off of
Jarlin García extended the lead.
Walker Buehler, starting on short rest for the first time in his career, pitched innings for the Dodgers, walking two and giving up only three hits. He left the game with two runners on, one of whom (
Evan Longoria
Evan Michael Longoria (born October 7, 1985), nicknamed "Longo", is an American former professional baseball third baseman who played 16 seasons in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Tampa Bay Rays, San Francisco Giants, and Arizona Diamondbac ...
), scored on a
Darin Ruf
Darin Cortland Ruf (born July 28, 1986) is an American former professional baseball first baseman, left fielder, and designated hitter. He played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Philadelphia Phillies, San Francisco Giants, New York Mets a ...
ground out against
Joe Kelly. The Dodgers got the run back on a Betts sacrifice fly off of
Tyler Rogers
Tyler Scott Rogers (born December 17, 1990) is an American professional baseball pitcher for the San Francisco Giants of Major League Baseball (MLB).
Rogers played college baseball for Garden City Community College and Austin Peay State Unive ...
.
Kris Bryant
Kristopher Lee Bryant (born January 4, 1992), nicknamed "KB", is an American professional baseball designated hitter, outfielder, and third baseman for the Colorado Rockies of Major League Baseball (MLB). He has previously played in MLB for the ...
drove in the Giants second run on a ground out against
Blake Treinen
Blake Michael Treinen (, born June 30, 1988) is an American professional baseball pitcher for the Los Angeles Dodgers of Major League Baseball (MLB). He has previously played in MLB for the Washington Nationals and Oakland Athletics. He played co ...
in the eighth but the Dodgers put the game out of reach thanks to a
Will Smith
Willard Carroll Smith II (born September 25, 1968) is an American actor, rapper, and film producer. Known for his work in both Will Smith filmography, the screen and Will Smith discography, music industries, List of awards and nominations re ...
two-run homer in the bottom of the eighth against
Jake McGee. They won 7–2 to tie the series up once more.
Game 5
The most recent prior Game 5 in a Division Series for the Dodgers was
2019
This was the year in which the first known human case of COVID-19 was documented, preceding COVID-19 pandemic, the pandemic which was declared by the World Health Organization the following year.
Up to that point, 2019 had been described as ...
, which they lost to the
Washington Nationals
The Washington Nationals are an American professional baseball team based in Washington, D.C. The Nationals compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (NL) East Division. They play their home games at Na ...
, and for the Giants was
2012
2012 was designated as:
*International Year of Cooperatives
*International Year of Sustainable Energy for All
Events January
*January 4 – The Cicada 3301 internet hunt begins.
* January 12 – Peaceful protests begin in the R ...
, which they won over the
Cincinnati Reds
The Cincinnati Reds are an American professional baseball team based in Cincinnati. The Reds compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (baseball), National League (NL) National League Central, Central Divisi ...
.
Logan Webb
Logan Tyler Webb (born November 18, 1996) is an American professional baseball pitcher for the San Francisco Giants of Major League Baseball (MLB). He was drafted by the Giants out of high school in the fourth round of the 2014 Major League Baseb ...
started for the Giants and went seven innings, while the Dodgers'
Corey Knebel acted as an
opener
Opener, Open'er or Openers may refer to:
* Opener (album), ''Opener'' (album), an album by 8mm
* Opener (baseball), a baseball strategy to use a relief pitcher to start a game
* Open'er Festival, a contemporary music festival held in Gdynia, Poland ...
, only pitching the first inning. The Dodgers scored first, as
Mookie Betts
Markus Lynn "Mookie" Betts (born October 7, 1992) is an American professional baseball outfielder, shortstop, and second baseman for the Los Angeles Dodgers of Major League Baseball (MLB). He has previously played in MLB for the Boston Red Sox. ...
reached on a single in the sixth and was driven in on a double by
Corey Seager
Corey Drew Seager (born April 27, 1994) is an American professional baseball shortstop for the Texas Rangers of Major League Baseball (MLB). He has previously played in MLB for the Los Angeles Dodgers. He is often regarded as one of the best sh ...
. A home run by the Giants'
Darin Ruf
Darin Cortland Ruf (born July 28, 1986) is an American former professional baseball first baseman, left fielder, and designated hitter. He played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Philadelphia Phillies, San Francisco Giants, New York Mets a ...
off of
Julio Urías in the bottom of the inning tied the score. The Dodgers scored a run in the top off the ninth off of Giants
closer Camilo Doval
Camilo Doval (born July 4, 1997) is a Dominican professional baseball pitcher for the San Francisco Giants of Major League Baseball (MLB). He signed with the Giants as a free agent in 2015, and made his MLB debut with them in 2021. His fastball ...
, via a
hit by pitch
In baseball, hit by pitch (HBP) is an event in which a batter or his clothing or equipment (other than his bat) is struck directly by a pitch from the pitcher; the batter is called a hit batsman (HB). A hit batsman is awarded first base, provide ...
and singles by
Gavin Lux and
Cody Bellinger. The Dodgers then sent in
Max Scherzer
Maxwell Martin Scherzer (born July 27, 1984), nicknamed "Mad Max", is an American professional baseball pitcher for the Toronto Blue Jays of Major League Baseball (MLB). He has previously played in MLB for the Arizona Diamondbacks, Detroit Tige ...
to pitch the bottom of the ninth after
Kenley Jansen
Kenley Geronimo Jansen (born September 30, 1987) is a Curaçaoan professional baseball pitcher for the Los Angeles Angels of Major League Baseball (MLB). He has previously played in MLB for the Los Angeles Dodgers, Atlanta Braves, and Boston Red ...
pitched a scoreless eighth inning. With one out,
Kris Bryant
Kristopher Lee Bryant (born January 4, 1992), nicknamed "KB", is an American professional baseball designated hitter, outfielder, and third baseman for the Colorado Rockies of Major League Baseball (MLB). He has previously played in MLB for the ...
reached on an
error
An error (from the Latin , meaning 'to wander'Oxford English Dictionary, s.v. “error (n.), Etymology,” September 2023, .) is an inaccurate or incorrect action, thought, or judgement.
In statistics, "error" refers to the difference between t ...
by
Justin Turner. Scherzer then recorded two strikeouts to end the threat. The final out was on a controversial
checked swing
A checked swing, sometimes also referred to as a check-swing or check swing, is a type of motion in baseball made by a batter. A checked swing is not an official term or call in baseball, such as a strike or ball, but is a common phrase used by ...
third strike, as first base umpire
Gabe Morales ruled that
Wilmer Flores
Wilmer Alejandro Flores Garcia (born August 6, 1991), nicknamed "Catire", is a Venezuelan professional baseball infielder for the San Francisco Giants of Major League Baseball (MLB). On his 16th birthday in 2007, Flores signed as an internation ...
had offered on a two-strike pitch outside the strike zone. With their 110th win of the season (regular season and postseason), the Dodgers finally overtook the Giants and advanced to face the
Atlanta Braves
The Atlanta Braves are an American professional baseball team based in the Atlanta metropolitan area. The Braves compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (baseball), National League (NL) National League Eas ...
in the
NLCS
The National League Championship Series (NLCS) is a Playoff format#Best-of-seven playoff, best-of-seven playoff and one of two League Championship Series comprising the penultimate round of Major League Baseball's (MLB) Major League Baseball po ...
.
As a result of their NLDS Game 5 loss, the Giants became the second of three teams to win 105+ games in a season to not advance to the LCS since the Division Series was introduced in 1995. The two other teams that lost under the same circumstances were the 106-win
2019 Dodgers, and afterwards, the 111-win
2022 Dodgers.
The Dodgers were only the third team in postseason history to allow no more than one run in two winner-take-all victories in the same year. The
2017 Astros did it in the
ALCS and the
World Series
The World Series is the annual championship series of Major League Baseball (MLB). It has been contested since between the champion teams of the American League (AL) and the National League (NL). The winning team, determined through a best- ...
, while the
1981 Dodgers did it in both the
NLDS and
NLCS
The National League Championship Series (NLCS) is a Playoff format#Best-of-seven playoff, best-of-seven playoff and one of two League Championship Series comprising the penultimate round of Major League Baseball's (MLB) Major League Baseball po ...
. The 2021 Dodgers also join the
2020 Rays,
2001 Diamondbacks and
1972 Athletics as teams to eke out multiple winner-take-all victories by a margin of no more than two runs in a single postseason.
Game 5 was the last of
Buster Posey's career, who retired at the season's end. In general, 2021 was seen as an outlier year for San Francisco. They could not replicate their magic in the
2022
The year began with another wave in the COVID-19 pandemic, with SARS-CoV-2 Omicron variant, Omicron spreading rapidly and becoming the dominant variant of the SARS-CoV-2 virus worldwide. Tracking a decrease in cases and deaths, 2022 saw ...
,
2023
Catastrophic natural disasters in 2023 included the Lists of 21st-century earthquakes, 5th-deadliest earthquake of the 21st century 2023 Turkey–Syria earthquakes, striking Turkey and Syria, leaving up to 62,000 people dead; Cyclone Freddy ...
, or
2024
The year saw the list of ongoing armed conflicts, continuation of major armed conflicts, including the Russian invasion of Ukraine, the Myanmar civil war (2021–present), Myanmar civil war, the Sudanese civil war (2023–present), Sudane ...
seasons. Three years after retiring, Posey would become the president of baseball operations for the Giants, replacing
Farhan Zaidi
Farhan Zaidi (born November 11, 1976) is a Canadian professional baseball executive. He has also served as president of baseball operations for the San Francisco Giants, general manager for the Los Angeles Dodgers, and as assistant general mana ...
.
This was the middle of three postseason match-ups of a Los Angeles-based sports team versus a Bay Area-based sports within nine months of each other. Earlier in the year, the
Los Angeles Lakers
The Los Angeles Lakers are an American professional basketball team based in Los Angeles. The Lakers compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the Pacific Division (NBA), Pacific Division of the Western Conference (NBA ...
defeated the
Golden State Warriors
The Golden State Warriors are an American professional basketball team based in San Francisco. The Warriors compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the Pacific Division of the Western Conference. Founded in 1946 i ...
in the NBA’s
. The third meeting between both cities came in the
NFL
The National Football League (NFL) is a professional American football league in the United States. Composed of 32 teams, it is divided equally between the American Football Conference (AFC) and the National Football Conference (NFC). The N ...
, with the
Los Angeles Rams
The Los Angeles Rams are a professional American football team based in the Greater Los Angeles, Greater Los Angeles area. The Rams compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the National Football Conference (NFC) NFC West, West ...
defeating the
San Francisco 49ers
The San Francisco 49ers (also written as the San Francisco Forty-Niners and nicknamed the Niners) are a professional American football team based in the San Francisco Bay Area. The 49ers compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member ...
20–17 in the
2021 NFC Championship Game
1 (one, unit, unity) is a number, numeral, and glyph. It is the first and smallest positive integer of the infinite sequence of natural numbers. This fundamental property has led to its unique uses in other fields, ranging from science to sp ...
.
Composite line score
2021 NLDS (3–2):
Los Angeles Dodgers
The Los Angeles Dodgers are an American professional baseball team based in Los Angeles. The Dodgers compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (baseball), National League (NL) National League West, West Div ...
beat
San Francisco Giants
The San Francisco Giants are an American professional baseball team based in San Francisco. The Giants compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (baseball), National League (NL) National League West, West Div ...
Milwaukee vs. Atlanta
This was the first postseason matchup between the Braves and the Brewers. The two teams each won three games in the six-game regular season series.
Historically, the Braves franchise was based in Milwaukee from 1953 to 1965, and both the Braves and Brewers retired the jersey of
Hank Aaron
Henry Louis Aaron (February 5, 1934 – January 22, 2021), nicknamed "Hammer" or "Hammerin' Hank", was an American professional baseball right fielder who played 23 seasons in Major League Baseball (MLB), from 1954 through 1976. Considered one ...
, who started and ended his MLB career in the city of Milwaukee. While in the city, the Braves won the
1957 World Series
The 1957 World Series was the championship series of Major League Baseball's 1957 season. The 54th edition of the World Series, it was a best-of-seven playoff that matched the American League (AL) champion and defending World Series champion ...
, which was the franchise's second championship and last for 38 years. To date, it is the only World Series championship the city of Milwaukee has won.
Game 1
Game 1 of the series featured a pitcher's duel between
Charlie Morton and
Corbin Burnes
Corbin Brian Burnes (born October 22, 1994) is an American professional baseball pitcher for the Arizona Diamondbacks of Major League Baseball (MLB). He has previously played in MLB for the Milwaukee Brewers and Baltimore Orioles.
Burnes was se ...
. The game was scoreless until the bottom of the seventh, when
Rowdy Tellez
Ryan John "Rowdy" Tellez ( ; born March 16, 1995) is an American professional baseball first baseman for the Seattle Mariners of Major League Baseball (MLB). He has previously played in MLB for the Toronto Blue Jays, Milwaukee Brewers, and Pitts ...
hit a two-run home run off of Morton to give Milwaukee the lead. In the eighth,
Joc Pederson
Joc Russell Pederson ( ; born April 21, 1992) is an American professional baseball outfielder for the Texas Rangers of Major League Baseball (MLB). He has previously played in MLB for the Los Angeles Dodgers, Chicago Cubs, Atlanta Braves, San ...
hit a pinch-hit solo home run to put the Braves on the board. The Braves made things interesting in the ninth against All-Star closer
Josh Hader
Joshua Ronald Hader (born April 7, 1994) is an American professional baseball pitcher for the Houston Astros of Major League Baseball (MLB). He has previously played in MLB for the Milwaukee Brewers and San Diego Padres. Hader is a five-time Ma ...
, but he closed the door after getting former Brewer
Orlando Arcia
Orlando Jesús Arcia (born August 4, 1994) is a Venezuelan professional baseball shortstop for the Colorado Rockies of Major League Baseball (MLB). He has previously played in MLB for the Milwaukee Brewers and Atlanta Braves. The Brewers signed A ...
to groundout to
Kolten Wong
Kolten Kaha Wong (born October 10, 1990) is an American former professional baseball second baseman who played 11 seasons in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the St. Louis Cardinals, Milwaukee Brewers, Seattle Mariners, and Los Angeles Dodgers. H ...
. With the loss, the Braves fell to 4–12 in Game 1 of playoff series since 2000, with three of those wins coming in
2020
The year 2020 was heavily defined by the COVID-19 pandemic, which led to global Social impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, social and Economic impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, economic disruption, mass cancellations and postponements of even ...
.
Game 2
Game 2 featured a pitching match-up of
Brandon Woodruff and
Max Fried
Max Dorian Fried ( ; born January 18, 1994) is an American professional baseball pitcher for the New York Yankees of Major League Baseball (MLB). He previously played for the Atlanta Braves.
Fried was selected by the San Diego Padres in the fi ...
.
Freddie Freeman
Frederick Charles Freeman (born September 12, 1989) is a Canadian and American professional baseball first baseman for the Los Angeles Dodgers of Major League Baseball (MLB). Freeman made his MLB debut with the Atlanta Braves in 2010 and played ...
and
Ozzie Albies
Ozhaino Jurdy Jiandro "Ozzie" Albies (born January 7, 1997) is a Curaçaoan professional baseball second baseman for the Atlanta Braves of Major League Baseball (MLB). Albies signed with the Braves organization in 2013 and made his MLB debut wit ...
got the Braves on the board in the third inning with an RBI single and double (Albies double was originally ruled as a home run, but was changed on further review).
Austin Riley extended the lead greeting Woodruff with a home run in his final inning of work. The Brewers put together a rally in the seventh inning, but Tyler Matzek stopped the threat by striking out
Tyrone Taylor. The Brewers also had a bases loaded situation in the 9th, but closer
Will Smith
Willard Carroll Smith II (born September 25, 1968) is an American actor, rapper, and film producer. Known for his work in both Will Smith filmography, the screen and Will Smith discography, music industries, List of awards and nominations re ...
induced a game ending double-play off the bat of
Luke Maile to tie the series at 1.
Game 3

Game 3 featured more of the same for the Brewers' offense, as they would be shut out in back-to-back games. In an attempt to try to get the offense going, Brewers starting pitcher
Freddy Peralta was pulled after throwing four scoreless innings, as his spot was due up in the top of the fifth with runners on base. It did not work out as the Brewers threat was stopped and
Joc Pederson
Joc Russell Pederson ( ; born April 21, 1992) is an American professional baseball outfielder for the Texas Rangers of Major League Baseball (MLB). He has previously played in MLB for the Los Angeles Dodgers, Chicago Cubs, Atlanta Braves, San ...
belted a three-run home run in the fifth inning after Peralta was removed.
Ian Anderson's five innings of scoreless ball was backed by stellar Braves' defense, as they moved one win from advancing back to the NL Championship Series.
Game 4
Milwaukee scored their first runs since the seventh inning of game 1 with
Omar Narváez and
Lorenzo Cain RBI line drive singles in the top of the fourth inning. The Braves answered when
Eddie Rosario singled home two runs himself in the bottom of the fourth. In the fifth inning a
Rowdy Tellez's two-run homer would also be answered by a
Joc Pederson
Joc Russell Pederson ( ; born April 21, 1992) is an American professional baseball outfielder for the Texas Rangers of Major League Baseball (MLB). He has previously played in MLB for the Los Angeles Dodgers, Chicago Cubs, Atlanta Braves, San ...
RBI groundout and a
Travis d'Arnaud RBI single to tie the game again. The game remained tied until the bottom of the eighth inning when
Freddie Freeman
Frederick Charles Freeman (born September 12, 1989) is a Canadian and American professional baseball first baseman for the Los Angeles Dodgers of Major League Baseball (MLB). Freeman made his MLB debut with the Atlanta Braves in 2010 and played ...
sent a
Josh Hader
Joshua Ronald Hader (born April 7, 1994) is an American professional baseball pitcher for the Houston Astros of Major League Baseball (MLB). He has previously played in MLB for the Milwaukee Brewers and San Diego Padres. Hader is a five-time Ma ...
slider into the left-center field bleachers to give the Braves a one-run lead.
Will Smith
Willard Carroll Smith II (born September 25, 1968) is an American actor, rapper, and film producer. Known for his work in both Will Smith filmography, the screen and Will Smith discography, music industries, List of awards and nominations re ...
struck out
Christian Yelich
Christian Stephen Yelich (born December 5, 1991) is an American professional baseball left fielder for the Milwaukee Brewers of Major League Baseball (MLB). He has previously played in MLB for the Miami Marlins. Internationally, Yelich represen ...
in the ninth to send Atlanta to their second straight NL Championship Series.
Composite line score
2021 NLDS (3–1):
Atlanta Braves
The Atlanta Braves are an American professional baseball team based in the Atlanta metropolitan area. The Braves compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (baseball), National League (NL) National League Eas ...
beat
Milwaukee Brewers
The Milwaukee Brewers are an American professional baseball team based in Milwaukee. The Brewers compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (baseball), National League (NL) National League Central, Central Di ...
See also
*
2021 American League Division Series
References
External links
Major League Baseball postseason schedule
{{Los Angeles Dodgers
Division Series
The Division Series is the quarterfinal round of the Major League Baseball postseason. Four series are played in this round, two each for both the American League and the National League.
1981 season
The first use of the term "Division Series ...
National League Division Series
National League Division Series
In Major League Baseball, the National League Division Series (NLDS) determines which two teams from the National League will advance to the National League Championship Series. The Division Series consists of two best-of-five series, featuring e ...
Atlanta Braves postseason
Milwaukee Brewers postseason
San Francisco Giants postseason
Los Angeles Dodgers postseason
2020s in Milwaukee
National League Division Series
In Major League Baseball, the National League Division Series (NLDS) determines which two teams from the National League will advance to the National League Championship Series. The Division Series consists of two best-of-five series, featuring e ...
National League Division Series
In Major League Baseball, the National League Division Series (NLDS) determines which two teams from the National League will advance to the National League Championship Series. The Division Series consists of two best-of-five series, featuring e ...
National League Division Series
In Major League Baseball, the National League Division Series (NLDS) determines which two teams from the National League will advance to the National League Championship Series. The Division Series consists of two best-of-five series, featuring e ...
National League Division Series
In Major League Baseball, the National League Division Series (NLDS) determines which two teams from the National League will advance to the National League Championship Series. The Division Series consists of two best-of-five series, featuring e ...
National League Division Series
In Major League Baseball, the National League Division Series (NLDS) determines which two teams from the National League will advance to the National League Championship Series. The Division Series consists of two best-of-five series, featuring e ...
National League Division Series
In Major League Baseball, the National League Division Series (NLDS) determines which two teams from the National League will advance to the National League Championship Series. The Division Series consists of two best-of-five series, featuring e ...