Due to coronavirus (COVID-19) concerns, the 2020 MLB season did not begin until late July. It resulted in only 60 games being played — none of which included fans in the stands.
However, that changed during the National League Championship Series, which was held in a bubble at Globe Life Field. Texas was one of the few states at the time that allowed fans to attend professional sporting events in a limited capacity.
As such, a little more than 10,000 fans were present for each of the seven games played between the Los Angeles Dodgers and Atlanta Braves. While Dodgers fans routinely show up in big numbers, there were many Braves fans that made the drive for the series as well.
During an appearance on the “Starting 9 Podcast,” Walker Buehler revealed that Braves fans heckled the Dodgers throughout the NLCS, via Barstool Sports:
“I thought it was really cool they brought fans in. To be honest with you, it was nice to kind of have that energy back in there a little bit. I will say the Atlanta fans are tough, tough people. They got on us pretty good.”
Braves fans presumably were at their loudest when the Dodgers fell into a 3-1 deficit. However, the club tuned out the noise and battled back to win three consecutive games, punching their ticket to a third World Series appearance in the past four seasons.
Buehler played a big role in the Dodgers’ comeback, tossing six shutout innings in Game 6 to help the team force a winner-take-all Game 7. He was also solid in his Game 1 outing, allowing just one run on three hits over five innings pitched.
Roberts happy that fans
While Braves fans outnumbered Dodgers fans during the NLCS, manager Dave Roberts was happy to see them back in the crowd. “It is what it is. It’s better than no fans,” he said at the time. “They’re very loud, they’re into the game. It’s great for the people on the field.
“Certainly, I wish we could have more, but being mindful of protocols and being responsible, that’s the best we could do in the state of Texas. I’m just happy we have some fans. You’re seeing signs and people cheering.
“Unfortunately for the Dodger fans, we’re a little outnumbered since we’re here in the south. But it’s still fun having some fans.”
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