BRAVES NATION
Tuesday night was the 700th career major-league game that Ozzie Albies had played second base, all for the Braves. That follows 384 minor-league games at shortstop or second and who knows how many games before that growing up on the island of Curacao.
But Tuesday brought a personal first, as he initiated a stunning 4-6-3 putout in the top of the fifth inning of the Braves’ 6-2 win over the Twins at Truist Park. The Braves rolled with five home runs, but the defensive gem may have been the most memorable play of the night.
With Bryce Elder on the mound and two outs, Twins right fielder Max Kepler stung a hard-hit grounder that Albies had to dive to his right to snare. Lying in the outfield grass, Albies had little chance to hop up and make the throw to first in time to get Kepler. But shortstop Orlando Arcia came hustling over and called for the ball. From his stomach, Albies flipped him the ball, which Arcia gloved before spinning and unleashing a bullet to first baseman Matt Olson to just beat Kepler.
“You don’t practice that, it just happens” Albies told The Atlanta Journal-Constitution. “Went to my right, dove, and Arcia was saying, ‘Give it to me, give it to me.’ That’s how it happened.”
Albies said that he and Arcia had talked about making such a play before. But asked if he had ever made such a play before, Albies replied, “No, never. First time.”
After the play, both infielders clearly were charged up running off the field as the sellout crowd roared.
In the dugout, “everybody high-fives you,” Albies said. “It was amazing. Everybody was pumped about it.”
Albies was quick to check out a replay on one of the tablets in the dugout.
“Right away,” he said. “It’s fun to see. Great play.”
The play contributed to the Braves’ 12th win in 13 games and kept their National League East lead at 6-1/2 games over the Marlins.
“That’s what we do,” Albies said. “We play hard every day, and this team is just electric. It’s a great team. Everybody feeds off each other, and that’s what we do. We keep playing hard no matter what.”
