HOUSTON -- Jorge Soler wasted no time at all in announcing his return to the top of the Atlanta Braves¡¯ lineup.

Soler, making his first start since returning from the COVID-19 injured list, smashed the third pitch of the World Series to the Crawford Boxes beyond the left-field wall at Minute Maid Park in Game 1 on Tuesday, giving Atlanta a quick lead in what became a two-run first inning against the Astros and left-hander Framber Valdez, and an eventual 6-2 victory.

It was a historic World Series swing. Soler became the first player to homer in the very first plate appearance of a Fall Classic -- in other words, the top of the first inning of Game 1. Four players had homered in their team¡¯s first plate appearances, but those were all in the bottom of the first: Don Buford for the 1969 Orioles, Dustin Pedroia for the 2007 Red Sox, Alcides Escobar for the 2015 Royals and Chris Taylor for the 2017 Dodgers against the Astros.

¡°To be honest, I didn't know that was a thing until I was told a little later on in the game,¡± Soler said, drawing a smile from teammate Adam Duvall during a postgame press conference. ¡°For me, I wasn't thinking about anything like that.¡±

The fact it made history, Soler said, made ¡°me and my family both very happy.¡±

Valdez missed the strike zone with his first two pitches before elevating a third straight sinker that Soler launched in the air. It was the same jolt Soler gave the Braves after coming to Atlanta in a midseason trade with the Royals and slugging .573 in 37 games to finish the regular season.

The smash vindicated a pre-series decision that faced the Braves, who¡¯d used scorching-hot Eddie Rosario in the leadoff spot in five of seven games since Soler landed on the IL during Atlanta¡¯s National League Division Series against the Brewers. Rosario responded by hitting .560 with three home runs and nine RBIs during the Braves¡¯ win over the Dodgers in six games in the NL Championship Series, earning the series¡¯ MVP Award.

Braves manager Brian Snitker said there was a chance Rosario returns to the top spot in the lineup against Houston right-hander Jos¨¦ Urquidy in Game 2. But against the lefty Valdez, he went with Soler.

¡°I weighed both things all night,¡± Snitker said, ¡°and then, just looking at how actually we could balance the lineup [he went with Soler in the top spot]. Because this is the postseason, you never know what they're going to do. Guys do stuff different than they have. And I find myself doing that. So just to try and structure the lineup for the game, for this one game. That's pretty much what it is.¡±