Our series of the greatest Atlanta Braves comebacks continues with a more recent tale. Once again, it features the Braves committing a late-game dismantling of an NL East opponent. In this case, that opponent was the Miami Marlins. Now, these particular stories are a dime a dozen in any team’s history, yet the Braves almost always find a way to add a particular bit of pizzazz to the proceedings. We will uncover some of the more direct methods in later stories, but this one has its intrigue. The comeback in question was allowed by a reliever who, up until recently, had been one of the more dominant bullpen arms in the game. Then, there was the opposition’s pitching. Half of the Marlins’ six hurlers used in this game had ERA numbers north of five.
However, the most impressive thing about this game was that it really proved that the Braves were back. They could compete all the way through a game and no deficit was insurmountable. For three seasons before this, they had experienced quite a severe rebuild. Many famous names were victims of this necessary process. In 2018, the Braves were not expected to have emerged from that period yet. It was this contest, and others, that showed otherwise. This was a complete team and, while they would have to wait until 2021 to taste championship success, they could still compete to the final pitch. The list of Atlanta Braves comebacks simply wouldn’t be complete without this one.
Greatest Atlanta Braves comebacks: #4
May 20, 2018: vs. Miami Marlins
The Braves were trending upward as the gentle warmth of spring began to head towards the bullish heat of summer. On the other hand, the Marlins were trending downward. Either way, the teams met to test their mettle on a hot late May Sunday in Atlanta. The then-named SunTrust Park had yet to experience the consistent selling out that it now enjoys. However, a crowd of nearly 30,000 had braved the heat to watch the surprisingly good Braves play the expectantly poor Marlins. Things were finally looking up for a Braves fan base that had suffered through three horrendous seasons. Now, they sought to reap the benefits of those good seasons that they had grown accustomed to throughout the 1990s and mid-2000s.
2018 Miami Marlins
The Braves’ opponent for the day was undergoing something of a transformation. After finishing second in the division the previous season, the Marlins decided to have a bit of a fire sale. Namely, their biggest three names were now with other teams. Giancarlo Stanton had been dealt to the New York Yankees for a package that included Starlin Castro. Marcell Ozuna was flipped to the St. Louis Cardinals for a number of prospects, one of which was Sandy Alcantara. Finally, Christian Yelich was traded to the Milwaukee Brewers for a group built around top prospect Lewis Brinson. Out of all of these deals, the only one that proved to have any long-term benefit was Alcantara. Everyone else was mediocre at best.
So it was that the 2018 Marlins found themselves back in the dumpster. However, there were some bright spots, offensively speaking. Catcher J.T. Realmuto continued to make a case for being the best backstop in the National League. Castro had a solid first season in Miami, leading the team in batting average and hits. Justin Bour proved to be something of a power threat. On the mound was where things got fishy (no pun intended). Nobody in the rotation finished with a winning record, and ace Jose Urena only managed nine wins. In the bullpen, Kyle Barraclough and Brad Ziegler tied with 10 saves and Nick Wittgren was something of a revelation (2.94 ERA in 32 games). Other than that, this was a forgettable season for the Marlins.
2018 Atlanta Braves
The Braves weren’t expected to finish above .500, let alone win the division in 2018. Yet, they proved the doubters and critics wrong by going 90-72. New faces and veteran presences alike drove the team to absolute success. Freddie Freeman continued to be a leader, hitting .309 with 191 hits, 44 doubles, 23 homers, and 98 RBI. Ozzie Albies had a power surge, crushing 40 doubles and 24 home runs. However, the true offensive spark was Ronald Acuna Jr., who won NL Rookie of The Year honors by hitting .293 and leading the team with 26 homers. Nick Markakis and Ender Inciarte brought steady durability to the outfield and Johan Camargo had a solid year at the hot corner. Then there was the bench, which was headed up by the ever-reliable Charlie Culberson, who had 80 hits and 12 homers.
The pitching came through in a number of ways, thanks in part to one big breakout season and a solid bullpen. Mike Foltynewicz came out of nowhere to become the team’s ace. He won 13 games with a sub-three ERA, 202 strikeouts, and a 143 ERA+. He finished eighth in Cy Young voting and made his only career All-Star appearance. The rotation was bolstered by good-to-great performances from Julio Teheran, Sean Newcomb, and Anibal Sanchez. Finally, there was the relief corps, which saw good years from guys like Jesse Biddle, A.J. Minter, and Shane Carle. But the true leader of the ‘pen was closer Arodys Vizcaino, who saved 16 games with a 2.11 ERA and a 195 ERA+. All told, the Braves had the fifth-best pitching staff in the league.
A Quiet, yet Explosive Beginning
Much as with the fifth entry on this countdown, the game began without any real fanfare. Teheran started for Atlanta, with Wei-Yin Chen going for Miami. Through three innings, neither pitcher had given up a hit, though a couple of walks and an errant pitch had led to some base runners. In the top of the fourth, Teheran allowed the game’s first hit, a triple to Bour. The next batter, Castro, didn’t have to do much as Teheran balked Bour home, giving the Marlins a 1-0 advantage. Teheran then let each of the next three hitters reach, loading the bases for Miguel Rojas. He promptly deposited the first pitch of the at-bat into center field for an RBI single.
Next up was Lewis Brinson, who had never really been known for his power. Here, however, he shocked everyone by sending the second pitch of the at-bat deep down the left field line. It managed to get over the wall for a grand slam, giving the Marlins a 6-0 lead. After this, Teheran settled in and retired the side with limited drama. But Brinson’s huge home run had almost surely sealed the Braves’ fate. After all, a six-run deficit is incredibly difficult to come back from. The title of this piece should counteract that statement quite succinctly. It would not be on a list of Atlanta Braves comebacks if the team had failed to come back and win the game.
The Comeback
The next few innings were relatively quiet for both sides. Then, in the bottom of the sixth, the Braves finally got to Chen. After pinch hitter Culberson popped out to lead things off, Albies and Acuna reached on back-to-back pitches. Freeman, following the “swing early” philosophy, laced an RBI single to center to get the team on the board. The next batter was Markakis, and he managed to drive home another run. Unfortunately for the Braves, new reliever Lucas Sims gave up a two-run homer to Rojas in the top of the seventh. But, Acuna managed to touch up Steckenrider for two runs in the bottom of the inning. Then, in the top of the ninth, Minter gave up a solo homer to Rojas.
Down by five, the Braves sent Dansby Swanson to the plate to open the ninth against Ziegler, but he struck out. The next two hitters reached before Acuna grounded out to bring home Ryan Flaherty. It cost the Braves a second out, but the score was 9-5. Freeman followed that with a base hit that scored Albies after the latter reached second on defensive indifference. The next batter, Markakis, brought Freeman home with a base knock after Freeman advanced on indifference. This ended Ziegler’s day and Tayron Guerrero was brought on. He walked his first assignment before giving up an RBI hit to Kurt Suzuki. Two batters later, Swanson hit for the second time in the inning and rifled an offering into the left field corner, scoring Suzuki and Camargo and completing this most improbable of Atlanta Braves comebacks.
https://t.co/o4r9oJrjAi has chosen the @Braves 10-9 win over the Marlins on May 20th as their best win of 2018. Atlanta started the bottom 9th with a 9-4 deficit and went on a 6 run rally. Dansby’s 2 out-2 run walk off single sealed the victory. @ATLSportsHQ #ChopOn pic.twitter.com/NZGthEZNyj
— 715BravesCast (@715BravesCast) December 26, 2018
Main photo credits:
Brett Davis-USA TODAY Sports
Players mentioned:
Giancarlo Stanton, Starlin Castro, Marcell Ozuna, Sandy Alcantara, Christian Yelich, Lewis Brinson, J.T. Realmuto, Justin Bour, Jose Urena, Kyle Barraclough, Brad Ziegler, Nick Wittgren, Freddie Freeman, Ozzie Albies, Ronald Acuna Jr., Nick Markakis, Ender Inciarte, Johan Camargo, Charlie Culberson, Mike Foltynewicz, Julio Teheran, Sean Newcomb, Anibal Sanchez, Jesse Biddle, A.J. Minter, Shane Carle, Arodys Vizcaino, Wei-Yin Chen, Miguel Rojas, Lucas Sims, Dansby Swanson, Ryan Flaherty, Tayron Guerrero, Kurt Suzuki
