FILE – In this Feb. 26, 2020, file photo, Atlanta Braves and former Mets catcher Travis d’Arnaud watches during a spring training baseball game in Sarasota, Fla. Travis d’Arnaud tormented his former team with three hits and five RBI, three of which put the Braves in front in the home half of the eighth inning. (AP Photo/John Bazemore, File)
KEVIN MCALPIN
680 THE FAN, ATLANTA – Wins like last night never get old. On a night where it seems like nothing is going right, trailing by six in the fifth and four in the eighth, the Atlanta offense does what we’ve become so accustomed to seeing, willing themselves to improbable wins. It’s what good teams do, and this is a really, really good team. And the fun part is, it seems like it’s a different hero every time they pull off one of these wins. Last night, it was Travis d’Arnaud, who tormented his former team with three hits and five RBI, three of which put his team in front in the home half of the eighth inning. In addition to d’Arnaud, Adeiny Hechavarria and Matt Adams have also spent brief stints with the Metropolitans, and both were a big part of Friday night’s win.
Since Brian Snitker took over as manager back in 2016, nearly one-quarter of all this team’s wins have come in their final at bat of the game. When asked how much different his ride home would feel after a win like that, all Snit could do is laugh. He comes to expect these type of things to happen. Fans should as well. It sound cliché, but it’s true. This team is never, ever out of a ballgame. It’s a testament to the youthful energy that guys like Acuña, Albies, Soroka and others bring to the field every day. It’s also a tribute to the veteran leadership in this clubhouse that doesn’t allow anyone to feel sorry for themselves when it looks like a game might not go their way.
Over the course of a 162 game season, it would probably be easy at times, especially in the dog days of summer to have a “throwaway game” and try again tomorrow. In a 60 game season, every game is a big game. And I’m sure all Braves fans will agree that it never gets old ripping the hearts out of a division rival like the Mets. And a win like that tastes even sweeter when you know you deliver such a big blow to a team that decided they didn’t need you. That’s exactly what d’Arnaud, Hech and Adams did in last night’s thriller.
Kevin McAlpin has covered the Braves since 2012 for @680TheFan and the @BravesRadioNet.
