In the NLCS, Avery had not allowed a run to the Pirates in innings of work, winning Game 2 and Game 6 and garnering series MVP honors. Erickson made one start in the ALCS, taking a no decision in Game 3. Going into the three games in Atlanta, Twins manager Tom Kelly said that managing without the designated-hitter rule was "right up there with rocket science". In a play reminiscent of Game 2, Dan Gladden led off the game by reaching on a fielding mistake. He lifted a fly ball toward right-center field where David Justice and Ron Gant both went to catch it, but neither called for the ball and it dropped between them. Gladden reached third on the hit standing up, and Chuck Knoblauch subsequently flied out to allow him to score the first run of the game and end Avery's scoreless innings streak. The Braves got the run back in the second when Greg Olson scored on Rafael Belliard's single. Justice led off the fourth with his first World Series home run, and the Braves led for the first time in the Series, 2–1. In the fifth, the Braves scored again when Lonnie Smith homered. Erickson was pulled from the game after allowing Terry Pendleton and Justice to reach base, on a walk and an error by Knoblauch on a ground ball that should have ended the inning. David West entered the game and walked two consecutive batters, forcing home an unearned run (charged to Erickson) and leaving the bases loaded for Terry Leach, who struck out Mark Lemke to end the inning. With the score 4–1, the Braves looked to close it out. As it turned out, the game was just beginning. After the run that resulted from the first-inning misplay between Gant and Justice, Avery had been perfect for five innings, recording 15 consecutive outs. But then he seemed to tire a bit. Kirby Puckett homered in the seventh to make it 4–2, one inning after two Twins hits and two other fly outs to the warning track. Atlanta manager Bobby Cox reluctantly sent Avery out for the eighth inning. The first batter he faced was Brian Harper, pinch hitting for his replacement catcher Junior Ortiz (Harper never started games that season when Erickson pitched, as he preferred to pitch to Ortiz). After he reached on an error Avery went to the showers in favor