It took the Braves until Aug. 6 to get above .500. Now, for the first time in 26 years, they're champions, Axios' Jeff Tracy and I write.

• Game 6 recap: Max Fried was brilliant (6 IP, 4 H, 6 K, 0 BB), Jorge Soler hit a ball out of the stadium and Dansby Swanson provided the insurance in Atlanta's 7-0 blanking of the Astros.
• MVP: Soler is the second Cuban-born player (Liván Hernández, 1997) to win World Series MVP.

The big picture: The Braves join the 1964 Cardinals as the only teams to go from losing record at the All-Star Break (44-45) to champions.

• Streak ends: Atlanta had gone 16 straight playoff appearances without a title, the longest such streak in history.
• Streak continues: For the seventh straight World Series (outside of 2020's neutral site affair), the victors won the title on the road. The 2013 Red Sox are the last team to clinch at home.

What they're saying: Braves legend Freddie Freeman, the friendliest man in baseball, is finally a champion. His mother, Rosemary, who died of melanoma when he was 10, would be so proud.

• "He felt like, to honor his mom, he had to be a great kid," his father, Fred, said Tuesday. "When he was 10, that's what he decided he was going to be. He always said, 'I know mom's watching.'"
• "She'd be the first one on that field, running out to bearhug him right now," added his brother, Andrew. "She did everything for us ... if she was here today, oh my gosh. It would be absolutely amazing."

Season in review: The 2021 Braves were hardly a juggernaut, and endured endless adversity. But that's why you play all 162 games! Or in their case, just 161.

• April (12-14 record): Atlanta began the season by honoring three Braves legends who passed away last winter — Hank Aaron, Phil Niekro and Don Sutton.
• May (13-12): LF Marcell Ozuna, who nearly won the Triple Crown in 2020, was arrested on May 29 for domestic abuse, ending his season.
• June (13-15): RHP Mike Soroka, 2019's ROY runner-up who missed most of 2020 with a torn Achilles, *re-*tore his Achilles on June 26.
• July (14-13): Ronald Acuña Jr., an MVP favorite through 82 games (24 HR, 19 2B, 17 SB, .990 OPS), tore his ACL on July 10.
• August (18-8): Behind four of the best trade deadline acquisitions in recent memory, Atlanta finally got above .500 after 111 games and never looked back.
• September (18-9): With the Phillies breathing down their necks, the Braves won six straight to clinch the NL East on Sept. 30.
• Playoffs (11-5): Their only series deficit all postseason came after an opening loss to Milwaukee. What a run.

The bottom line: The Braves didn't look like championship material for most of the year. But they never stopped trying to win — and ultimately, they did.

• It's a worthy lesson in an era where teams are increasingly either "going for it" when they view themselves as serious contenders, or planning for the future when they don't.
• Sometimes, it's best to just live in the moment. See what happens. In the end, that's what every athlete and fan wants: a fighting chance.

Go deeper:

• 🎥 Watch: Final out (Twitter)
• 🎙 Listen: Radio calls (Twitter)
• 🏆 Read: How the "Baby Braves" won (ESPN)

Congrats, Braves country. Hammerin' Hank would be proud.

Cincinnati debuted at No. 6 in the first College Football Playoff rankings, while Georgia, Alabama, Michigan State and Oregon claimed the top four spots.

Why it matters: Cincy landed the highest-ever ranking for a Group of 5 team, but the committee putting them at No. 6 — four spots below their AP poll position — is widely viewed as a snub.

What they're saying: "It's clearly a Power 5 invitational," said AAC commissioner Mike Aresco. "These rankings, the more you look at them, they're indefensible. ... The goal posts always seem to move."

• "It's a self-fulfilling prophecy," added Aresco. "The committee doesn't rank our teams that deserve to be ranked, then they turn around and say they don't play any ranked teams."
• The other side: "The committee has great respect for Cincinnati," said CFP commissioner Gary Barta. "The win at Notre Dame was a really impressive win. But who else did they beat?"

Elsewhere: Ohio State is No. 5, one spot behind an Oregon team it lost to at home in September ... Oklahoma is No. 8 despite being the nation's only 9-0 team ... The SEC and Big Ten account for 13 of the 25 spots.

Fun fact ... The head coaches of the top four teams were all coaches on the 2015 Alabama staff: Nick Saban (HC), Kirby Smart (DC), Mel Tucker (DB) and Mario Cristobal (OL).

Sports commentary is riddled with unconscious bias, and a new study shows just how drastically race and gender can impact fandom.

The study: Using tracking technology that can capture how players move their limbs, researchers produced two-dimensional renderings to determine what soccer looks like when you can't see who's playing.

1. Race: Research has shown that white soccer players are more likely to be praised for things like work ethic, while Black players are often reduced to their physical abilities. What happens when race is removed?

• Of the 47 study participants who watched a two-minute clip of Senegal vs. Poland at the 2018 World Cup, 70% said that Senegal was "more athletic or quick," a common stereotype of Black players.
• But of the 58 others who saw a rendering of the same two minutes without knowing which teams were playing, 62% picked Poland, whose players were all white.

"The physical advantages that supposedly defined the African team's style of play disappeared as soon as their skin color did."

2. Gender: The study also examined gender bias by showing viewers a pair of two-minute clips, one from the NWSL and one from League Two, the English men's fourth tier.

• 57% of people who watched the broadcasts said the men's game was "higher quality," while 59% of those who saw genderless stick figures preferred the women's match.
• Of note: The results of the gender portion weren't statistically significant. But Toronto FC director of analytics and study co-author Devin Pleuler still thinks the research is promising.

"These results are suggestive that your average soccer fan can't tell the difference between something that does have a large investment level and the women's game, which does not."

Full study.

💔 Vegas tragedy: Henry Ruggs III will be charged with DUI resulting in death after a fiery crash that cost a 23-year-old her life. The Raiders have released the 2020 first-round pick.

⚽️ Xavi to Barça: Barcelona is finalizing an agreement to hire former star midfielder Xavi Hernández as head coach, ESPN reports.

🏒 October studs: Capitals legend Alex Ovechkin (15 points), Oilers star Connor McDavid (16 points) and Hurricanes new goalie Frederik Andersen (1.29 GAA) were named the NHL's "Three Stars" for October.

🎓 Realignment: Liberty, New Mexico State, Jacksonville State and Sam Houston are likely headed to Conference USA, joining a league that has lost 11 of it's 14 members this year.

🏀 Good read: At Michigan, Moussa Diabate is home, for now (Brendan Quinn, The Athletic)

"[Diabate] remembers a few different houses as a little kid. Then a hotel; then an apartment; then a different apartment. … And now, he's here."

A lengthy legal battle between the NFL and the city of St. Louis stemming from the Rams' 2016 move to L.A. is nearing its end, and things don't look good for the league, Jeff writes.

Why it matters: One possible outcome could see the NFL grant St. Louis an expansion team.

The backdrop: In 2017, St. Louis sued the NFL for breaching its relocation policy, and the city believes it is owed billions in damages.

• St. Louis argues that Rams owner Stan Kroenke did not make a good-faith effort to keep the team in Missouri, and that the NFL let it slide because it wanted the team in the nation's second-largest market.
• Barring a settlement, the lawsuit — currently in discovery after four years of proceedings — will go to trial on Jan. 10, weeks before Kroenke's SoFi Stadium hosts the Super Bowl.

The latest: Kroenke blindsided his fellow owners last week when he announced plans — through lawyers — to renege on a signed agreement from 2016 requiring him to pay any relocation-related legal fees.

• Tens of millions of dollars in fees have already accrued, and if the case goes St. Louis' way, that number could reach well over a billion.
• Kroenke argues he's not to blame for the protracted battle in court, and if his gambit succeeds, all 32 owners — not just him — would have to share the burden of that cost.

What to watch: A trial could be disastrous for the NFL, with information uncovered in discovery suggesting it may indeed have breached its policy. To avoid a courtroom, the league could try to settle with St. Louis by promising the city an expansion team.

Go deeper: Explaining the St. Louis-NFL lawsuit (SI)

Albert Pujols doesn't know where he'll be playing next year, but right now, he's enjoying his first foray into Dominican winter ball, Jeff writes.

Driving the news: Pujols debuted with Leones del Escogido on Sunday, hitting a 10th-inning walk-off single to beat their rivals, Tigres del Licey, with whom they share a stadium in Santo Domingo.

• "I am very happy," said Pujols, who'd always promised to play in his native country. "It was a special day, something I have been dreaming of for a long time."

The big picture: Every fall as the MLB season ends, the Caribbean's winter circuit begins, giving young Latin American prospects — and occasionally MLB vets — some extra seasoning before spring training.

• The Dominican league represents the pinnacle of winter ball, but it's hardly the only player; Mexico, Puerto Rico, Colombia, Venezuela, Panama and Cuba boast similar leagues.
• Winners of each league then advance to the Caribbean Series, held annually — save a few years — since 1949. Dominican and Puerto Rican teams lead the way, with 21 and 16 championships, respectively.

What they're saying: Winter ball talent hovers around the Triple-A level, but the in-stadium vibes rival any league on earth, including MLB.

• "The games ... are some of the most exciting that I've ever been a part of," current Astro José Siri, MVP of the 2018 Dominican championship series, said last week.
• "I don't get nervous [during the World Series] because I was able to play in those atmospheres in the Dominican Republic."

Go deeper: The importance of the Caribbean winter leagues (FanGraphs)

LOS ANGELES — LeBron James (30-4-10), Russell Westbrook (27-9-7) and Anthony Davis (27-9-3) filled the stat sheet, but the Lakers barely beat the lowly Rockets, 119-117. Still a work in progress.

• 🎥 Watch: Highlights (YouTube)

MUNICH — Robert Lewandowski scored a hat trick and set up another goal as Bayern Munich crushed Benfica, 5-2, to cruise into the Champions League knockout stage with two Group E matches to spare.

• Go deeper: Scores/schedule (Champions League)

ABU DHABI, U.A.E. — Pakistan beat Namibia at the T20 World Cup on Tuesday, becoming the first country to qualify for the semifinals of the international cricket tournament.

• 🎥 Watch: T20 cricket, explained (YouTube)

46 years ago today, Chris Evert topped the inaugural Women's Tennis Association (WTA) rankings.

By the numbers: Evert spent 260 weeks at No. 1 during her storied career, fourth-most in history.

• Steffi Graf: 377 weeks
• Martina Navratilova: 332
• Serena Williams: 319
• Evert: 260
• Martina Hingis: 209
• Monica Seles: 178
• Justine Henin: 117
• Ashleigh Barty: 100 (current No. 1)

The big picture: The WTA, founded by Billie Jean King, launched in 1973 with just nine players. Today, it has over 2,500 — and there has been talk of a merger with the men's ATP tour.

🎥 Watch: Every year-end No. 1 through the years (Twitter)

Chris Paul moved into third place on the NBA’s all-time assists list with 18 dimes Tuesday night, giving him 10,346.

• Question: Can you fill out the rest of the top five?
• Hint: Three have been or are NBA head coaches.

Answer at the bottom.

Rams WR Cooper Kupp has been this season's breakout fantasy star, beating out the ageless Tom Brady and injured Derrick Henry.

By the numbers: Here are the fantasy leaders through Week 8, per ESPN's standard PPR scoring:

• QB: 1. Brady, TB (201.9); 2. Josh Allen, BUF (185.78); 3. Matthew Stafford, LAR (183.48)
• RB: 1. Henry, TEN (193.3); 2. c LAC (153.2); 3. Jonathan Taylor, IND (152.4)
• WR: 1. Kupp, LAR (214.9); 2. Tyreek Hill, KC (177.8); 3. Ja'Marr Chase, CIN (159.3)
• TE: 1. Travis Kelce, KC (127); 2. Mark Andrews, BAL (110.6); 3. T.J. Hockenson, DET (106.8)
• D/ST: 1. Bills (78); T-2. Saints (71); T-2. Cardinals (71)
• K: 1. Nick Folk, NE (79); 2. Tyler Bass, BUF (73); 3. Matt Gay, LAR (69)

How's your team looking?