“Henry would be as thrilled as I am to see his statue at the National Baseball Hall of Fame,” expressed Aaron’s widow Billye Aaron. “His life embodied hope and perseverance, inspiring generations to pursue their dreams despite obstacles. This tribute is a testament to his love for the game and his desire to inspire young boys and girls everywhere.”
A spare piece no more, Jorge Soler drove a pitch over the train tracks, out of Minute Maid Park and deep into the heart of Texas. He dropped his bat, tapped his chest twice and jabbed a hand toward the Atlanta Braves dugout, yelling “I’m here!”
The streaking hot Dodgers went off for four runs and won 5-3 over the Atlanta Braves on Monday night. Holding the second best record in the major leagues, the Dodgers are 11 games ahead of the Braves.
The Los Angeles Dodgers were shutout for just the third time all season, unable to take advantage of a golden opportunity chasing the San Francisco Giants in the NL West standings.
“Henry Aaron, in the second inning walked and scored. He’s sittin’ on 714,” said Braves announcer Milo Hamilton calling the game on WSB Radio. “Here’s the pitch by Downing. Swinging. There’s a drive into left-center field. That ball is gonna be-eee … Outta here! It’s gone! It’s 715! There’s a new home run champion of all time, and it’s Henry Aaron! The fireworks are going. Henry Aaron is coming around third. His teammates are at home plate. And listen to this crowd!”
Most home runs, best regular-season record, and eight straight National League West division titles were all irrelevant with the Dodgers facing elimination Friday night. But the boys in blue came through with a 7-3 victory in Game 5 keeping hope and the series alive.
Atlanta Braves beat the Dodgers 5-1 in a challenging pitched game by Braves Max Fried, who had nine strikeouts in game one.
This series had it all. Leaping home run takeaways over the fence, tempers flaring on the field, postseason records, and a manager ejected. Through it all one constant was made clear, the Dodgers swept the Padres reminding San Diego they are still the little brothers in the division.
Notes, quotes and things picked up on the run from coast-to-coast and all the stops in between and beyond!