DYLAN LEE

Max Fried looked right at home, opening with five perfect innings while pitching the Atlanta Braves to a 3-1 victory over the Los Angeles Dodgers.

Ten-year veteran Brock Holt ended his bid to win a bench spot with the Atlanta Braves on Thursday when he requested and was granted his release. Holt, 33, signed with Atlanta on a minor league deal and was invited to the major league camp. The Braves also optioned left-hander Dylan Lee, who made a surprise start as an opener in last season’s World Series Game 4 against Houston, a 3-2 comeback win, and outfielder Travis Demeritte to Triple-A Gwinnett.

Carlos Correa had three hits, Martin Maldonado found three different ways to drive in runs and pinch-hitter Marwin Gonzalez blooped a tiebreaking, two-run single in the fifth inning to lead the Houston Astros over the Atlanta Braves 9-5 and cut their World Series deficit to three games to two.

The Houston Astros have reworked their lineup for Game 5, dropping the slumping Alex Bregman from his usual third spot to seventh. Bregman is 1 for 14 in the World Series, and Houston trails Atlanta three games to one. The Astros have desperate for a big hit this week — they're hitless in their last 17 at-bats with runners in scoring position.

Time and time again, the Houston Astros put runners on base.

A guy who spent most of the season in the minors kept the Braves in it.

A guy who spent most of the season in the minors kept the Braves in it. Just like that, Atlanta is one win from its first World Series title in 26 years. Dansby Swanson and pinch-hitter Jorge Soler connected for back-to-back homers in the seventh inning Saturday night, propelling the Braves to a 3-2 victory over the Houston Astros and a commanding 3-1 Series lead.

Atlanta's Dylan Lee became the first pitcher to make his first big league start in the World Series.

Eddie Rosario sparked Atlanta’s late comeback with his bat and helped preserve the Braves’ 3-2 lead with his glove.

Dansby Swanson and pinch-hitter Jorge Soler hit back-to-back homers in the seventh inning, propelling the Atlanta Braves to a 3-2 victory over the Houston Astros and a three games to one lead in the World Series. The Braves can wrap up the title on their home field, just as they did two stadiums ago when they beat the Cleveland Indians in 1995. Swanson’s one-out drive made it 2-all and Soler followed with a liner to left field off reliever Cristian Javier.

Atlanta Braves lefty Max Fried had a stretch in his first World Series start when he looked like the ace he has been most of the season.

Chris Taylor hit three homers and drove in six runs to help the Los Angeles Dodgers beat Atlanta 11-2, cutting the Braves' lead to 3-2 in the best-of-seven NL Championship Series.

In the only playoff game of the night Thursday, the Atlanta Braves can win their first pennant in 22 years with a victory in Game 5 of the NL Championship Series at Dodger Stadium.

Eddie Rosario homered twice in his second four-hit game of the NL Championship Series and six Atlanta pitchers combined on a four-hitter, giving the Braves a 9-2 victory over the Los Angeles Dodgers for a commanding 3-1 lead in their best-of-seven playoff.