Houston Astros fall to Atlanta 6-2 in World Series Game 1

HOUSTON, Texas (KTRK) -- The 2021 World Series may have arrived in Houston Tuesday night, but unfortunately for the Astros, the Atlanta Braves are now ahead in the series with a 6-2 Game 1 victory.

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Atlanta's Jorge Soler became the first batter ever to lead off a World Series with a home run.

Making his first start since returning from a positive COVID-19 test, Soler led off Tuesday night's game with a drive to left off Houston's Framber Valdez.

The 29-year-old Cuban took Valdez's first two pitches for balls. Valdez then threw his third straight sinker, and with catcher Martín Maldonado set up low and outside, left the ball over the middle of the plate.

Soler, who had 14 home runs during the regular season, drove the 93.7 mph offering 382 feet, and it landed about four rows deep into the Crawford seats behind the 19-foot high left-field scoreboard.

While four batters led off the bottom of the first of a World Series opener with a home run, Soler became the first in 117 World Series to homer starting the top of the first of an opener.

Soler followed up his historic leadoff homer by driving in another run on a fielder's choice grounder to put the Braves up 3-0 after two innings in Game 1.

The Braves had a chance to add more, but left the bases loaded when Austin Riley struck out on the 44th pitch thrown by Astros starter Framber Valdez.

While the Braves came out on top, Game 1 came at a cost for Atlanta pitcher Charlie Morton who suffered a broken leg in the second inning but didn't leave the game, and the series, before throwing 16 more pitches.

With the Braves leading 5-0, Morton came up hobbling on the mound after striking out Jose Altuve on a 2-2 curveball to begin the bottom of the third. The right-hander grabbed at his ankle and was replaced by lefty reliever A.J. Minter, who was given as much time as he needed to warm up.

Morton was hit near the right ankle by Yuli Gurriel's sharp groundout leading off the second.

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The surehanded Braves eventually let Houston on the scoreboard with a rare bobble in the field.

Atlanta shortstop Dansby Swanson booted Chas McCormick's one-out grounder in the fourth -- the first error by a Braves position player this postseason -- that allowed Kyle Tucker to score from third and cut the Astros' deficit to 5-1.

Tucker hit a one-out double off A.J. Minter, who replaced injured starter Charlie Morton an inning before. He advanced to third on Yuli Gurriel's single, then scored when Swanson let McCormick's routine grounder bounce off his right hand.

ESPN reports that Houston entered the season with 22-1 odds to win the World Series, but became the American League favorite in June. The Astros also led the league in runs scored in the regular season.

Houston will attempt to even the series on Wednesday in Game 2 of the World Series. First pitch is scheduled for 7:09 p.m.

ESPN and The Associated Press contributed to this report.

The video featured above is from a previous report.