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| - Powerful pitching has lifted the Atlanta Braves to their deepest Major League Baseball playoff run in 19 years while the big-hitting Houston Astros are one round from the World Series for the fourth year in a row. Atlanta pitcher Kyle Wright struck out seven batters over six scoreless innings and the Braves blanked Miami 7-0 Thursday while the Astros had two home runs from Michael Brantley plus homers from Carlos Correa and Jose Altuve in beating Oakland 11-6. "The guys are swinging the bats really well -- 1-to-9 everybody is contributing," Brantley said. "It has been a fun ride this post-season. We're looking forward to keeping it going." The Braves swept Miami 3-0 in the best-of-five second-round series and booked a berth in the best-of-seven National League Championship Series, which starts on Monday. It's the first time since 2001 the Braves, who lost 95 games in 2015, have advanced to the NLCS. "It means a lot," Braves star first baseman Freddie Freeman said. "Coming from where we were five years ago to where we are now is a complete 180. For us to be in this situation is completely incredible. "This group of guys is special. Our confidence level is pretty high." The Braves will face either the Los Angeles Dodgers or San Diego Padres, with the Dodgers hoping to complete a sweep later Thursday. The Astros beat Oakland 3-1 in their best-of-five matchup to reach the best-of-seven American League Championship Series, which begins on Sunday. Houston will face either the Tampa Bay Rays or New York Yankees, with the Rays hoping to oust New York in a later game. The Astros won the 2017 World Series over the Dodgers in seven games, lost to Boston in the 2018 ALCS and went back to the World Series last year, falling in seven games to Washington -- a failure that has inspired this year's success. "Experience had a lot to do with it," Brantley said. "We came up short last year. To come back and play good post-season baseball was our goal. We've been putting quality at-bats together and getting wins." The Astros feats in 2017 and 2018 have been tainted by a sign-stealing scandal, cameras and banging on trash cans used to alert batters to what pitches were coming, but new manager Dusty Baker has helped Houston recover. "It's a team effort. We've got each other's backs," Brantley said. "To have a veteran team that comes to compete every day and knows how to play playoff baseball, it's special." Oakland jumped ahead 3-0 in the second inning but Houston answered with a five-run fourth on Correa's three-run homer and a two-run Brantley homer. The Astros scored twice in each of the next three innings -- Altuve with a two-run homer, Brantley with a second homer and Correa with two run-scoring singles -- for an 11-4 edge and shut down an A's rally in the ninth for the victory. Wright, a 25-year-old American right-hander, scattered three hits and two walks with solid bullpen support to secure a decisive victory. Over 49 playoff innings pitched, the Braves have allowed runs in only three while making a club-record 5-0 post-season start with four shutouts. "Our pitchers had something to say," Freeman said. "Kyle Wright was humongous." Atlanta tagged Marlins pitcher Sixto Sanchez for four runs in the third inning to break the game open. Marcel Ozuna hit a run-scoring single to right field. Travis d'Arnaud followed with a two-run double to right field and scored on sacrifice fly outs by Ozzie Albies and Dansby Swanson. "We have to keep on keeping on," said d'Arnaud. "We all feel really good. Our pitchers have been great. If they keep putting up zeroes, we have a good chance of winning." The Braves made it 5-0 in the fourth when Acuna walked and scored on a fielding error by Miami's Magneuris Sierra on a two-out Freeman single. Atlanta stretched the lead to the final margin in the fifth as Albies doubled and scored on a single by Swanson, who scored on an Adam Duvall double. js/bb
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