Unbelievable: Atlanta braves just pull some magic and did the impossible against Diamondbacks

The Atlanta Braves achieved one of their most remarkable comebacks in franchise history by defeating the Arizona Diamondbacks 9-8 on Saturday night.

 

According to MLB.com researcher Sarah Langs, this marked only the fourth instance in team history that the Braves have rallied from a deficit of six runs or more in the first inning to secure a victory.

In a contrasting performance, Max Fried had a challenging outing earlier in the

season against the Philadelphia Phillies when he failed to complete the first inning, yielding three runs on two hits

and three walks in just two-thirds of an inning. Despite a disputed call that prolonged his appearance, Fried threw 43 pitches to record two outs.

Against the Arizona Diamondbacks, Fried’s performance was mixed. He managed to navigate through the first inning and pitched a total of four and a

third innings. However, Fried encountered significant difficulties early on, surrendering six runs in the first inning alone on seven hits, which

included a leadoff home run by Arizona’s Ketel Marte, marking Marte’s second leadoff homer of the series. By the end of his outing, Fried had allowed eight runs

(seven earned) on ten hits and one walk. He recorded one walk and struck out five batters, throwing 97 pitches with 66 of them being strikes.

Fried’s usual effectiveness seemed to be lacking in this outing, as he generated only one swing-and-miss out of sixteen

swings on his fastball and a total of seven swings-and-misses overall. His Called Strikes plus Whiffs (CSW) rate was a modest 29%.

 

After the game, Fried was open and direct in his self-assessment, acknowledging, “It’s my responsibility to

pitch deep into games… And the fact that I’ve only managed to get into the fifth inning once in two starts, with high pitch counts? That’s not acceptable to me.”

 

Fried mentioned making slight adjustments to his pitch selection in the second inning, where he struck out the side by utilizing more sliders compared to curveballs.

 

With Spencer Strider potentially facing an extended absence due to a UCL injury, Fried will be relied upon to lead the rotation this season. He expressed his

commitment, stating, “I intend to take the mound every time it’s my turn in the rotation.” Hopefully, he can bounce back in his next start.

 

Despite a slow start, the Atlanta offense eventually came alive. The Braves didn’t register their first hit until Jarred Kelenic singled with two outs in the third inning, and they didn’t score until the fourth inning.

 

Similar to the previous night, Marcell Ozuna made significant contributions with a key RBI double in the fourth

inning, driving in Matt Olson. Ozuna later added a three-run homer in the fifth inning, finishing the game 3 for 5 with two runs scored and four RBIs.

However, once the Atlanta bats found their rhythm, they maintained their momentum. The Braves scored multiple runs in four different innings, ultimately seizing a 9-8 lead in the 8th inning. This marked the second consecutive night that the team faced a deficit but rallied to take the lead.

 

Manager Snitker expressed pride in the team’s performance, specifically highlighting Marcell Ozuna and Jarred Kelenic for their contributions.

 

Regarding Kelenic, Snitker noted his improved comfort at the plate, attributing it to his strong finish in spring

training. Kelenic had a productive stretch, going 5 for 13 with a home run and a triple in the final week of Grapefruit League action, which helped

him relax and settle into his game. Snitker emphasized Kelenic’s positive at-bats and noted that he narrowly missed hitting another home run.

 

For the second consecutive day, the Atlanta bullpen was called upon to cover a significant portion of the game due to Max Fried not completing the fifth inning. Once again, the bullpen rose to the challenge.

 

Dylan Lee received praise from Snitker for his performance, as he was the first pitcher to relieve Fried and delivered 2.2

innings of scoreless baseball, allowing only two hits and a walk. Snitker emphasized the significance of Lee’s

contribution, especially considering the team was short-handed due to Spencer Strider’s injury and the high innings workload from the previous night.

 

Lee will have a few days of rest after throwing 37 pitches, but the rest of the bullpen should be available for the

upcoming games, with the exception of possibly Raisel Iglesias, who has pitched in two consecutive ninth innings and may benefit from a day of rest.

On Sunday morning, the Atlanta Braves will make a roster change by placing

 

Spencer Strider on the injured list and calling up a pitcher to take his place. Strider’s next scheduled start would have been on Wednesday. Atlanta has the option to either promote a starting pitcher and have them remain inactive

 

for a few days until they are needed, or bring up a reliever for a shorter-term role and then make another roster move on Wednesday to bring in the starter for that day.

 

Looking ahead, the Atlanta Braves will be back in action on Sunday afternoon, aiming to complete a series sweep

 

against the Arizona Diamondbacks. The pitching matchup will feature Chris Sale for Arizona against Ryne Nelson for Atlanta, with the first pitch scheduled for 1:35 PM ET.

 

 

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