One by one, the Braves sent home runs over the wall as they blew out the Marlins, 8-1, on Friday. Atlanta is 82-51.
Here are five observations:
1. At Truist Park, Friday games are fireworks nights, with postgame fireworks entertaining fans regardless of the contest’s result.
On this particular Friday, fans saw two fireworks shows. The first one lasted a couple hours.
In Friday’s rout, the Braves homered five times to tie a single-game season high. Three came off Sandy Alcantara, the Marlins starter who could win the National League Cy Young Award this season.
“It’s fun,” Travis d’Arnaud said of hitting lots of homers. “It’s exciting – not only for the person who hits it, but for everyone in the clubhouse, because everybody loses it and laughs and has fun, too. I think it’s better that we’re playing good baseball winning and having good at-bats, and homers are just a byproduct of having a good game plan and just trying to execute that.”
D’Arnaud homered twice – once in the fourth inning, then again in the seventh. Vaughn Grissom (fourth inning), Michael Harris II (sixth) and Austin Riley (seventh) also launched home runs.
This season, the Braves have shown they can win in many ways. Still, they are who they are: A team that hits a lot of home runs. It’s why they’re one of baseball’s most dangerous offenses.
2. When Grissom was still in the minors, he would ask Harris a question.
“It’s the same game, right?” Grissom asked.
“Same game,” Harris would reply.
On Friday, the 21-year-old rookies stepped into the batter’s box and saw Alcantara staring back at them. And both did something that sent a familiar message: These guys are really, really good.
Grissom and Harris each launched a two-run home run off Alcantara. Once again, the kids played beyond their years. But they are realizing it is the same game up here.
“They got to throw it over the heart of the plate and you either got to hit it or miss it,” Grissom said. “Just control what you can control. Everybody’s a major leaguer and they all got their stuff, but we’re both here, too. We have what it takes to be here, too.”
Harris and Grissom are performing at elite levels.
“It’s rare,” d’Arnaud said. “I’ve been in the game for nine years and have only seen it a couple times, basically. To have two going at the same time is incredible. Luckily for me, I don’t have to call a game against them.”
3. Alcantara arrived in Cobb County in the midst of a special season. He is one of the game’s top arms, someone who has shut down many lineups this season.
But these Braves are as good as anyone, if not better. Their offense could be the best in the sport. They have damaged lots of dominant pitchers this season. Their work against Alcantara, particularly in the fourth inning, was incredible.
After going down a run, the Braves tagged Alcantara for six runs, which is only the second time he has allowed that many in 27 starts this season. In two starts versus Atlanta this year, he had given up only one earned run and had tossed one complete game against the Braves. Alcantara entered Friday leading the NL in ERA.
“Baseball’s funny,” manager Brian Snitker said. “We gave up one run and I’m thinking, ‘Oh shoot, he may have enough.’ You just never know.”
In that fourth inning, d’Arnaud sent a 402-foot, two-run homer over the wall to give the Braves a lead they never relinquished. Minutes later, Grissom hammered a 409-foot shot.
And in that frame against Alcantara, the Braves collected hits of 109.5 mph, 107.3 mph, 103.8 mph, 101.5 mph and 97.3 mph.
4. The Braves lead the National League with 201 home runs. They rank second in baseball and are four behind the Yankees.
“We didn’t build this to be like that, it just happens that that’s what we do,” Snitker said. “We hit a lot of homers, and thank God.”
5. With another sellout, the Braves set the single-season attendance record at Truist Park, which opened in 2017.
The Braves have drawn 2,675,846 fans this season. With a month remaining in the regular season, they could break the 3-million mark.
Stat to know
1.74 - Before Friday, Alcantara had a 1.74 ERA in nine starts versus the Braves in his career.
Quotable
“It’s a feeling unmatched, honestly. Got drafted the same year and we’ve been with each other since. To get up here the same year with a World Series champion early in the season, it’s kind of unreal. We’re just living in the moment right now.” - Harris on playing with Grissom in the majors
Up next
On Saturday, Braves right-hander Jake Odorizzi will face the Marlins, who will send righty Edward Cabrera to the mound. First pitch is at 7:20 p.m.
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