But despite all the obstacles in their path, and steadied by 66-year-old manager Brian Snitker, an organisation man for four decades, underdogs Atlanta won the franchise’s fourth title.

“They never gave up on themselves,” he said on a post-game victory platform. “We lost a lot of pieces over the course of the summer and it was just the next man up.”

Consider it a tribute to the greatest Braves player of them all, Mr Hank Aaron. The Hall of Fame slugger died January 22 at 86, still rooting for his old team, and his legacy was stamped all over this Series.

How proud “The Hammer” would’ve been.

And note – the Braves out-homered the top-scoring team in the majors by 11-2.

For 72-year-old Houston manager Dusty Baker, the result was a disappointment. But for many fans still rooting against the Astros in the wake of their 2017 sign-stealing scandal, some satisfaction.

“Yeah, it’s tough, but you know something? You’ve got to keep on trucking, and that gives you even more incentive next year,” Baker said.

“It’s tough to take now, but this too shall pass. I mean, it really hurts, but it’s over,” he added.

The Astros have played in the World Series three times in the past five seasons. Houston defeated the Dodgers in 2017 and lost to the Washington Nationals in 2019 prior to this year’s defeat.

The Braves defeated Cleveland in six games in 1995 for their first World Series title in Atlanta. They relocated from Milwaukee prior to the 1966 season.

All the Houston hits on Wednesday were singles. The Astros scored just four total runs in their four World Series losses, and they were blanked twice.

Soler was named World Series MVP after becoming the fourth player in Braves history to hit three homers in a World Series. The others are Aaron (1957), Lonnie Smith (1991) and Ryan Klesko (1995).

Soler’s 446-foot blast came on an eight-pitch at-bat in the third inning off Houston starter Luis Garcia, after Ozzie Albies hit a lead-off single and Eddie Rosario drew a two-out walk.

Swanson’s two-run homer off Cristian Javier was the key blow of a three-run fifth inning. Albies drew a lead-off walk and moved to second on a wild pitch. Swanson came up one out later and sent a fastball over the wall in left field for his second home run of the series.

Blake Taylor replaced Javier and walked Soler before Freeman followed with a run-scoring double off the fence in left centre field to make it 6-0.

Freeman hit a two-out solo homer to centre in the seventh off Ryne Stanek to make it a seven-run margin.