The Baby Braves Live To Fight Another Day Thanks To A Ronald Acuña Jr. Grand Slam And A Clutch Bomb From Freddie Freeman
SunTrust Park in Atlanta was a madhouse on Sunday night, and it was very clear that the Braves faithful were not ready to say goodbye to this 2018 team that defied the odds to get to October. Luckily for them, the Baby Braves reciprocated those same sentiments. Dodgers Game 163 hero Walker Buehler got the start with a chance to send LA back to the NLCS for a third straight year, but we saw a different Buehler than the one that helped the Dodgers clinch the NL West at Dodger Stadium last week.
In the bottom of the second inning, Buehler issued a four-pitch walk to Nick Markakis to start the frame, struck out the next two batters, gave up a base hit to Ozzie Albies, and then intentionally walked Charlie Cullberson to get to the pitcher, Sean Newcomb, with two outs. Seemed like the Dodgers were going to sneak away without any damage, but Buehler proceeded to walk Newcomb, also on four pitches, to force in the game’s first run. Now you’ve got problems, because the Braves’ leadoff man also happens to be one of the best hitters in the National League.
Buehler quickly fell behind 3-0 to Ronald Acuña Jr. with the bases loaded, and the future NL Rookie of the Year wisely took a strike to make it 3-1. But he knew that another fastball was coming and he launched that shit into outer space for a grand slam. Having not been to the postseason since 2013, facing elimination, first home playoff game in a brand new ballpark, that place was going bonkers up 5-0 in a do or die game. The cameras were shaking it was so loud.
But the Dodgers wouldn’t go down without a fight. Chris Taylor launched a clutch two-run bomb to get LA within a run, and then Max Muncy, one of the unsung heroes of the National League, crushed a game-tying bomb in the fifth. If you haven’t seen much of Muncy at the plate this year, go dig up a highlight reel of his home runs this season. The man doesn’t hit cheap homers, and when he squares one up, he knows it’s gone right off the bat and it wasn’t any different in Game 3 of the NLDS in Atlanta.
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Now in a battle of the bullpens, the Braves looked to their franchise player, their cornerstone bat, and the face of their franchise since a man by the name of Chipper Jones decided to hang it up after the 2012 season. Freddie Freeman came to the plate to lead off the sixth and crushed the first pitch that he saw deep into the night to get the Braves their lead back, sending the stadium into a frenzy.
It wasn’t easy to close this one out, though. Arodys Vizcaino, who battled injuries this year, came on in the ninth and immediately allowed a pair of base runners with nobody out. After a quick mound visit, the Braves closer mowed down Muncy, Manny Machado and Brian Dozier, striking out the side to keep Atlanta’s playoff hopes alive.
This series will see a Game 4 tonight, and the Braves will be sending their Game 1 starter, Mike Foltynewicz, to the mound, who was outstanding during the regular season, but got touched up for four earned runs and a pair of homers and three walks in two innings on Thursday. Countering Folty, the Dodgers will go with Rich Hill, who has yet to pitch in this postseason. Last October, Hill carried a 2.55 ERA with 24 strikeouts in 17.2 innings over four playoff starts.
