The Braves waited months upon months for a run. The players and coaches constantly referenced it, expressing faith, even in the darkest days, that the team would make a push.
It’s happening: When second baseman Ozzie Albies blasted a walk-off three-run homer into the Chop House on Wednesday, along with the Phillies’ 8-2 loss to the Dodgers, the Braves leaped into a tie for first place. At 59-55, the Braves are once again in pole position in the National League East.
That’s without outfielders Ronald Acuna and Marcell Ozuna. Starter Mike Soroka never arrived. Catcher Travis d’Arnaud just returned from an 86-game absence. The bullpen was leaky at times. The offense reached some low lows. It was a season mired in inconsistency except for one key component: Nobody in the division separated themselves.
The Phillies just had a surge but were cooled by the buzz saw that is the Dodgers. The Mets spent 90 days in first place but now find themselves looking up at two teams.
While the race is far from over - 48 games remain - the Braves won’t complain. In a season where so much has gone wrong, they could be a strong month away from a fourth consecutive division title.
“I’ve felt (like we’re moving in the right direction) for a while now,” manager Brian Snitker said. “We’ve hung around, relevant for a long time. We’ve been talking about hanging with it and eventually good things will happen. You can’t win the division tomorrow but it’s good to be where we’re at. We’re relevant. We’re playing meaningful games. Hopefully we continue to do that. I’ll take it. From where we were, where we started out and how we’ve been grinding through this thing, to be where we are in the season and right there, I’ll take it.”
