One day later, veteran pitcher Josh Tomlin was still marveling at the 29 runs his Braves teammates scored Wednesday night, the most by a National League club in a game since 1900.
“It was impressive to watch,” Tomlin said Thursday. “Sometimes it takes hitters weeks to do what some of these guys did in a day.”
Especially impressive was outfielder Adam Duvall’s three-homer, nine-RBI performance in the 29-9 win over the Miami Marlins at Truist Park. The performance capped a 10-game stretch in which Duvall hit nine home runs and twice had three-homer games. Through Wednesday, 12 of Duvall’s past 13 hits had been for extra bases (three doubles and nine homers).
“Baseball is a funny game,” Duvall said. “You can be off one night and then the next night have the best night of your life. That’s baseball. That’s the ebb and flow of the game.”
“I think he’s just finally getting back to being Adam Duvall,” Tomlin said. “He’s not far removed from (being) one of the best left fielders in the game. … At one point (with Cincinnati), he should have won a Gold Glove and was hitting 30 home runs and driving in 100. I think he has gotten back to that, made some adjustments. He’s a very, very good player.”
Braves manager Brian Snitker also savored Wednesday’s offensive onslaught and hopes it will provide momentum into an 11-day trip to Washington, Baltimore and New York (Mets).
“The road trips aren’t easy,” Snitker said. “This is going to be a long 11 days.”
He also is mindful that offense can only carry a team so far.
“The offense is really, really good,” Snitker said, “but that mound is where things are going to happen, good or bad.”
Braves notes
⋅ After resting a slumping Nick Markakis for a couple of games on the homestand that ended Wednesday, Snitker said the starting outfield “pretty much is going to be” Duvall, Ronald Acuna and Markakis “probably the rest of the way.”
⋅ Utility player Charlie Culberson, whom the Braves had designated for assignment, cleared waivers Thursday and was outrighted to the alternate training site at Gwinnett.
⋅ Entering play Thursday, the Braves had three players among MLB’s top 21 in OPS – Freddie Freeman No. 3 at 1.047, Marcell Ozuna No. 8 at 1.004 and Duvall No. 21 at .950. Acuna has a team-high 1.081 OPS, but because of injuries he does not enough plate appearances for qualify for the league leader board.
