Astros Heading Back To Houston For Game 6 After Avoiding Elimination Sunday, 9-5

The Astros were determined to push the World Series back to Houston's home soil. They faced a daunting four-run deficit in the first inning yet still kept the series alive by reconnecting with a familiar style of offense Sunday. Houston's offense came alive and beat the Braves, 9-5.

Atlanta jumped to a 4-0 advantage off an Adam Duvall grand slam in the first— the 21st of its kind in the history of the World Series. Championship expectations began to excite the fans at Truist Park, awaiting their first World Series victory since 1995. The ceremony will now have to wait until Tuesday, Wednesday or indefinitely, as the Astros remain alive in the Fall Classic, 3-2.

Houston slipped to 3-1 in the series because of a lack of output from their bats, going 4 for 31 with runners on base the last four contests this series. Saturday night's Game 4 win by the Braves was largely due to a derelict Astros offense, which got on the scoreboard only because of a bomb from José Altuve.

Tonight, the Astros' dugout showed up, including Martin Maldonado, Alex Bregman and Carlos Correa. Maldonado and Correa combined for 5 RBI, while Bregman — who's had a sub-par World Series — kicked off the 9-1 scoring spree in the second with a big double to register the Astros' first score of the night. Maldonado also contributed three runs on the night.

By the third inning, the Astros had tied the score, 4-4. In the third, Freddie Freeman brought the Braves back up by one, 5-4, with a solo homer catapulted 460 feet into the stands at Truist.

In the fifth, Marwin Gonzalez broke the 5-5 tie with a two-run pinch-hit single that flew left. Houston piled on four more runs in the later innings to seal the win.

Atlanta's 3-2 series lead remains a difficult obstacle, but the return of the Astros' offense has to be a tremendous factor moving forward.

Prior to Sunday's loss, the Braves had gone undefeated at home (7-0) all postseason.

The Braves are headed to Houston for Game 6 on Tuesday, hoping to close out the series and avoid a Game 7 Wednesday night at Minute Maid Park.

Follow along on Twitter: @AlejandroAveela