MIAMI — The Braves knew they wanted to to win their sequence vs. the Marlins this weekend. Within the hunt for a postseason berth, Atlanta entered the sequence opener on Friday two video games again from the Mets and D-backs for the third Nationwide League Wild Card spot.
“That was one of many harder-fought video games I feel I have been a part of in a very long time,” supervisor Brian Snitker stated. “I imply, that was fairly good, how [the] guys simply saved stepping up.”
Whereas the Braves’ offense definitely stepped up — with a house run apiece from Ozzie Albies and Gio Urshela (3-for-4), plus RBIs from Michael Harris II, Matt Olson and Jorge Soler — it was the bullpen that stole the present.
Till the seventh inning, Miami’s solely injury had come through the lengthy ball: Of the Marlins’ 5 hits getting into the seventh, 4 have been solo house runs. The Braves’ employees was delivering outcomes, however a couple of errant pitches proved harmful.
After Aaron Bummer loaded the bases with no outs to open the seventh earlier than getting a strikeout — the Braves greedy a tenuous one-run lead — Atlanta introduced in Hernández trying to escape the bases-loaded jam.
A strikeout and a lineout later to proper, Hernández did simply that.
“It was simply form of about energy,” Snitker stated. “Him having the ability and hoping he threw it over. And he did. He made some actually, actually good pitches.”
“He is constructed that [reputation], proper?” catcher Sean Murphy stated. “He is received large stuff. And, , you see him operating in, you are like, ‘It is this man who can get us out of right here proper now.’ We have been in a foul spot, and Daysbel along with his stuff got here in and attacked guys, threw strikes after which finally executed.”
For Hernández, who was recalled and optioned 5 instances earlier than he was recalled on Sept. 11, the outing was a giant increase in confidence — significantly as a result of his supervisor trusted him to pitch within the highest-leverage scenario he has up to now.
“I knew this was a giant sport for us and this was a sport that we would have liked to win,” Hernández stated through interpreter Franco García. “So to have the ability to pitch in that, I am blissful and I am glad that all of it labored out. And I will be prepared, it doesn’t matter what scenario or how they need to make the most of me, no matter they want from me, I will be prepared.”
Following Hernández, Raisel Iglesias flirted with damage within the eighth however stranded two to work his approach out of the inning earlier than a 1-2-3 ninth. It was his sixth two-inning outing of the season.
“That is a grinding sport,” Murphy stated. “We used the entire bullpen. It was forwards and backwards. They by no means rolled over on us. And so they might have, however they got here again, they’d these two house runs instantly after which made that factor tight right through. In order that was an excellent sport. It is simply a type of ones that is enjoyable to play, and extra enjoyable to win.”
Maybe missed in all of it was Dylan Lee’s effort when he relieved starter Grant Holmes with runners on second and third and no outs within the fifth. Lee set the tone for the remainder of the bullpen, getting a pair of strikeouts and a groundout to flee the jam.
Lee’s outing ended within the sixth after he gave up a pair of homers, however that set the desk for Pierce Johnson to shut out the body and maintain off the Marlins.
“Dylan got here in and received these three outs — and it is so laborious to get these outs after which return out and get one other one,” Murphy stated. “I do know he is not proud of what he did right this moment, however he picked us up large time once more.”
It was Hernández who actually stole the present, although, earlier than Iglesias closed it down, making certain the Braves keep their place on the bubble of the NL Wild Card getting into a season-defining sequence in opposition to the Mets. The winner of the three-game set, which begins Tuesday, will decide the victor of the season sequence and, in flip, the tiebreaker.
“We knew it a few weeks in the past, proper? That sequence might be going to resolve this factor,” Murphy stated. “We all know what we’re up in opposition to. We all know what we’ve received to do.”
