A little late in posting this article. The second half is underway and the Braves (62-45) are still in first place by 5.5 games over the Washington Nationals (57-49).
There are so many top plays so far in this miraculous 54-37 first half of the Atlanta Braves season in which the Braves finished the first half up by six games in the NL East, but I am only going to pick three. These three plays all helped the Braves win the games.
3. Catcher Brian McCann’s walk off versus Phillies
– It was like it was taken out of a fictional baseball novel. Braves were losing 7-2 going into the bottom of the seventh inning. Going into the bottom of the nine the Braves has scored 5 unanswered runs and were down by a score of 8-7. McCann was down to his final strike with the count 3-2 and Nick Markakis on third base and Austin Riley on second. Then it happened, McCann takes the pitch to left center and the ball drops in between the left and center fielder. Both runs score and the Braves win 9-8. That game helped the Braves continue their winning ways of winning series. The Phillies series was three in a row.
2. LF/3B Austin Riley’s first MLB home run
– It was Wednesday, May 15 and CF Ender Inciarte was placed on the Injured List with a back injury, not really. I don’t think he had a back injury, but Riley was down in Triple A Gwinnett Strippers tearing up the league hitting .400 plus with 14 homeruns. So the team had to call him up, right? Well…yes. So up he came where he played left field. Riley lit up the game with a homer to left center field in only his second career at bat. This sparked the Braves as they went on to beat the St. Louis Cardinals 4-0. Currently Riley is batting .241 with 16 HR and 44 RBIs in an outfield platoon roll with Inciarte and Adam Duvall. Anything can happen, but for the 2020 season Riley is slated to move back to his more comfortable position at third base full time, this is of course if the Braves do not re sign current third baseman Josh Donaldson.
1. LF Charlie Culberson’s catch and throw out double play to end the first half for the Braves
-It was like something you would dream of as a little kid playing little league ball. The Braves were winning 4-3 with zero outs in the top of the ninth inning hosting the Miami Marlins. Culberson had come into the game late to play left field to replace Riley as a defensive replacement because Culberson was a seasoned left fielder. Well, it was just like Braves manager Brian Snitker drew it up, well, not really. It was bases loaded and nobody out. Ball was hit to Culberson, and with a quick catch and release he threw to catcher Brian McCann to complete the double play. This play helped secure the Braves 57th win of the season and close out the first half of the season before the All-Star Break. Catch that moment below that even had me thinking this game was going to be lost.
Courtesy of YouTube
Kirkley's Sports Korner 