Game 4 of the World Series turned fast in the seventh inning. The Astros were up 2-1 in the game, but the Braves were down just one swing away from tying it. Cristian Javier had Dansby Swanson in an 0-2 count after two biting sliders. Everyone expected a third in the dirt, but the Astros had been pitching backward all game. Instead of more off-speed junk, they went fastball in the zone. Swanson jumped on it and put it over the right field wall to tie the game. He hit the salute at home plate, got a fist bump from his teammate, and the dugout erupted with celebrations that barely looked coordinated but were full of energy.
Next up came Jorge Soler pinch hitting in the nine hole. Javier tried the same approach. He attacked with sliders, but Soler laid off the second and then launched the third over the short wall in left. Just like that, back-to-back home runs from the eight and nine hitters flipped the game. It was the first time in World Series history that had ever happened. Swanson came flying down the dugout shouting, looking like a movie character on the edge of breakdown, but it was pure joy. The crowd went wild, the team piled on each other, and the Braves held the lead to win the game. That gave them a 3-1 series lead, one game away from the title.