Braves take MLB Speedway Classic over Reds behind unlikely contributions

BRISTOL, Tenn. — As Braves outfielder Eli White settled into the postgame podium Sunday afternoon, an MLB official introduced him with a new title — the king of Bristol.

And while White is still 11 wins shy of tying former NASCAR driver Darrell Waltrip for most in the iconic Bristol Motor Speedway, his performance on Sunday should warrant a temporary share of the crown.

He hit two home runs, as the Braves defeated the Reds 4-2 in MLB’s inaugural Speedway Classic. White’s two longballs drove in all four of the club’s runs.

“It’s something that I’ve been super excited for all year long,” White said. “Being able to have a big day and help the team is just something super special.”

After the game was suspended due to rain on Saturday night, the Braves resumed the matchup down 1-0 with nobody out and Reds on first and second base in the bottom of the first inning. But Hurston Waldrep immediately came in and put out the fire.

And he did so after learning he would pitch around 11 p.m. the night before, when the 23-year-old was asleep at his home in Georgia preparing for his start with Triple-A Gwinnett.

“You didn’t really have time to sit here and think about how it all happened,” Waldrep said. “Definitely not how you draw it up. But nothing about this game is how you draw it up.”

Waldrep allowed one run through 5⅔ innings in his first appearance of the season — and only the third of his MLB career. He struck out four batters and walked two, providing the Braves with length during their stretch of 17 straight days with a scheduled game.

And his performance was a positive sign for a club looking for ways to patch together its starting rotation.

“He’s a pro,” manager Brian Snitker said. “There’s a lot of room for (excuses for why it hypothetically) didn’t go right. I’m sure he got a nap in the car on the way here, but still, he woke up at four o’clock and (pitched well). A lot of credit to him. It was a really impressive outing.”

The Braves’ bullpen held the score — which at the most, saw the club holding a two-run lead — and they made history as the first MLB club to win a game in the state of Tennessee.

And two unlikely candidates — an outfielder who is serving as a replacement for Ronald Acuña Jr. and a pitcher who woke up in another state the morning of the game — led the way.