The Braves trailed 6-0 after five innings and scored 10 runs in the final four innings to pull off a 10-9 comeback win against the Marlins Sunday at SunTrust Park, but it was the six-run ninth inning that made this a rally for the ages.
Remarkably, it came eight years to the day of the Braves’ 10-9 walk-off win against the Reds when they scored seven runs in the ninth capped by Brooks Conrad’s walk-off grand slam.
Sunday’s ninth-inning rally was fueled by walks and singles with nary an extra-base hit from the Braves in the final frame.
Here’s how it happened:
Marlins reliever Brad Ziegler replaces Kyle Barraclough to start the inning, Marlins leading 9-4.
-- Dansby Swanson strikes out, 1 out.
-- Pinch Hitter Ryan Flaherty walks.
-- Ozzie Albies singles to right field, Flaherty goes to third base.
-- Ronald Acuna sacrifice fly, Flaherty scores, cuts lead to 9-5.
With Freddie Freeman batting, Albies advances to second base on defensive indifference.
-- Freddie Freeman ground-ball single to first base, error on first baseman Miguel Rojas on toss to Ziegler allows Albies to score from second base, cuts lead to 9-6.
With Nick Markakis batting, Freeman advances to second base on defensive indifference.
-- Nick Markakis single up the middle scores Freeman, cuts lead to 9-7.
Marlins reliever Tayron Guerrero replaces Ziegler.
With Tyler Flowers batting, Markakis steals second base.
-- Tyler Flowers walks
Freeman on when the Braves thought they could pull off the win: “When Tyler walked and Kurt was coming up. Snit (manager Brian Snitker) and all the coaches and I were kind of looking at each other like, this could be it right here. I called a walk and a homer from Kurt, but he only hit a single.” (laughs)
-- Pinch-hitter Kurt Suzuki singles to left field, Markakis scores, cuts lead to 9-8. Flowers to second on the play.
With Johan Camargo batting, wild pitch advances both runners.
-- Johan Camargo walks to load the bases.
-- Dansby Swanson singles down the left-field line, Flowers scores, Suzuki scores. Braves win, 10-9.
Freeman on Swanson: “No one else you want in that situation. Feels like he’s made for that situation. We got everything to him and he came through. It’s just unbelievable at-bats all the way through that whole inning. Kurt coming off (the bench) pinch-hitting, probably the hardest thing to do in baseball, especially against a guy throwing 100 (mph). It’s incredible what he’s doing. And all the big walks – I don’t think we had an extra-base hit in that inning. Just had to keep the line moving and that’s what we’re doing.”
