A.J. MINTER

New York Yankees slugger Aaron Judge and five players from the World Series champion Atlanta Braves are among the players who are headed toward salary arbitration hearings that will occur during the regular season after failing to agree to contracts for 2022.

The Atlanta Braves capped a busy week with another stunning move, signing three-time All-Star closer Kenley Jansen to a $16 million, one-year contract.

Atlanta first baseman Freddie Freeman’s future is the most pressing offseason issue facing the Braves, who beat the Astros to cap an improbable run to their first World Series title since 1995.

The Atlanta Braves lead the World Series three games to two and will try to win the championship Tuesday night when Max Fried starts against the Astros in Houston.

Carlos Correa and the Houston Astros broke out the bats just in time to extend this World Series.

Rookie starter Ian Anderson and the Braves' bullpen took a no-hit bid into the eighth inning, Austin Riley and Travis d’Arnaud drove in runs and Atlanta beat the Houston Astros 2-0 to grab a two games to one lead in the World Series.

Making his first start since testing positive for COVID-19, Jorge Soler became the first player to begin a World Series with a home run and the Atlanta Braves, despite the loss of pitcher Charlie Morton to a broken leg, hushed the Houston Astros 6-2 in Game 1.

Atlanta Braves pitcher Charlie Morton is done for the World Series after leaving with a broken right calf bone in the third inning of the opener.

Eddie Rosario capped a remarkable NL Championship Series with a three-run homer that sent the Atlanta Braves to the World Series for the first time since 1999.

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.

The Atlanta Braves have captured their fourth straight NL East championship.

Jorge Soler hit a go-ahead, three-run homer in the seventh inning, Joc Pederson made a leaping catch at the wall for the final out and the Atlanta Braves rallied to beat San Francisco 6-5 to end the Giants’ five-game winning streak.

Marlins starter Pablo López was ejected after plunking Ronald Acuña Jr. with his first pitch, leading to the only run as the Atlanta Braves edged Miami 1-0.

Ian Anderson took a no-hit try into the seventh inning, Freddie Freeman hit the 250th home run of his career and the Atlanta Braves beat the Milwaukee Brewers 5-1.

Juan Soto drove in the winning run with a single on a 3-0 pitch in the bottom of the ninth inning to lift the coronavirus-depleted Washington Nationals to a 6-5 comeback victory over the Atlanta Braves after waiting five days to start their season.

All the way to the World Series. It was the 16th consecutive playoff appearance in which Atlanta did not win a World Series, the most for any team. “A lot of our young players grew up a lot in these last three months.”The Dodgers are once again going for their first World Series title since 1988. Dansby Swanson homered for Atlanta, which hasn't been to the World Series since 1999. “We believed we should have been in the World Series,” Freeman said.

(AP Photo/Tony Gutierrez)ARLINGTON, Texas – One Will Smith outdid another Will Smith to keep the season alive for the Los Angeles Dodgers. The four homers are already a record for a shortstop in any postseason series. Minter struck out seven of the 10 batters he faced as the first pitcher in MLB history whose first start came in a postseason game. The last was Steve Yeager in Game 5 of the 1981 World Series of Ron Guidry of the New York Yankees. The other was Roy Campanella, who did it twice: in Game 3 of the 1953 World Series and Game 3 of the 1955 World Series.

(AP Photo/Tony Gutierrez)ARLINGTON, Texas – Marcell Ozuna and the Atlanta Braves got a little ahead of themselves. Now they’ll have to wait at least another day for the franchise’s first World Series in 20 years. The Braves still have a 3-2 series lead after a bullpen game that started well but went awry, with their top two starters lined up for the final two games. “Hopefully he can go seven innings tomorrow, eight innings,” manager Brian Snitker said. Fried struck out nine in six innings in a no-decision in Game 1, when the Braves scored four times in the ninth in a 5-1 win.

Los Angeles Dodgers starting pitcher Dustin May delivers to the San Diego Padres during the first inning in Game 3 of a baseball National League Division Series Thursday, Oct. 8, 2020, in Arlington, Texas. Atlanta took a 3-1 series lead over the Los Angeles Dodgers into Game 5 of the National League Championship Series on Friday night. Dustin May, like Minter a Texas native, was starting for the Dodgers. Minter had never started in the big leagues, in 139 regular-season games over four seasons or his five previous postseason appearances. He was 3-1 with a 2.57 ERA in the regular season, starting 10 of his 12 games.

Atlanta Braves players celebrate after defeating the Miami Marlins in Game 3 of a baseball National League Division Series, Thursday, Oct. 8, 2020, in Houston. And even those future Hall of Famers didn't throw the way these Braves have this postseason. Wright (1-0) was sharp despite not pitching since Sept. 25, allowing three hits and walking two with a career-high seven strikeouts. Atlanta became the second team in history to throw four shutouts in the first five playoff games, joining the 1905 New York Giants behind Hall of Famers Christy Mathewson and Joe McGinnity. D’Arnaud knocked a double off the bullpen in right-center to send two home and extend the lead to 3-0.

Atlanta Braves Freddie Freeman (5) celebrates driving in the game-winning run against the Cincinnati Reds in the 13th inning during Game 1 of a National League wild-card baseball series, Wednesday, Sept. 30, 2020, in Atlanta. The Atlanta Braves won 1-0. The East champion Braves won a postseason opener for the first time since Game 1 of the 2001 NL Division Series. In Game 5 of the 2019 NL Division Series, Atlanta gave up a record 10 runs to the St. Louis Cardinals in their first at-bat. Braves: There were injury concerns after Atlanta's last series of the regular season, but everyone was good to go in the playoffs.

Atlanta Braves starting pitcher Kyle Wright delivers in the first inning of a baseball game against the New York Mets, Sunday, Aug. 2, 2020, in Atlanta. After the game, Van Wagenen said: Hes decided to opt out of the remainder of the season for COVID-related reasons." Cspedes went 0 for 4 during a 7-1 loss Saturday night in Atlanta. ROSTER MOVESThe Mets traded for speedy outfielder Billy Hamilton, sending right-handed pitcher Jordan Humphreys to the Giants. He pitched six innings of four-hit ball in the season opener against the Mets.