Even amid their recent lackluster stretch the Braves have continued with their season-long proclivity for late-innings comebacks, so often that it’s fast becoming the identity of the team.
The Braves were 7-8 in their last 15 games before Thursday’s series opener against the Nationals at SunTrust Park, but had won three of their past five home games on walk-off hits including walk-off homers Monday and Tuesday to beat the Mets twice in a four-game series.
“Last couple of weeks it’s been kind of a trying time, but we’re still getting some wins,” said Freddie Freeman, the Braves’ best hitter and one of several who rank among National League leaders in late-innings productivity.
The late drama, he said, “Brings a lot of excitement. Obviously we would like to win games less stressfully, but those are fun. It gives us energy, gets the fans in the game, gets them excited. Walk-offs are good, but hopefully we’re going to win some games without that.”
With the season barely past the one-third mark, the Braves already had come back to win five games in which they trailed after seven innings and eight games in which they scoring the winning run in the team’s final at-bat including five walk-off wins.
The Braves were tied for sixth in the majors in scoring from the first through sixth innings with 177 runs in 55 games before Thursday, but were second with 101 runs in the seventh inning or later, trailing only the Astros (108).
Braves held three of the NL’s top seven averages in the seventh inning or later before Thursday, led by Kurt Suzuki, who was second at .367 (18-for-49). Freeman was tied for fourth at .333 (20-for-60), Dansby Swanson was tied for sixth at .328 (19-for-58), and Johan Camargo (.289) was 23rd.
Even more impressive was three Braves among the NL’s top five in OPS in the seventh inning or later: 2. Camargo 1.102; 3. Suzuki 1.068, and 5. Freeman .983. Also, Swanson (.864) was 18th.
The Braves overcame 10 deficits in the eighth inning or later before Thursday, the most in the majors. And while they didn’t win all of those games they at least put themselves in position to compete until the end, underscoring the team’s “we’re never out of it” mantra.
Since Brian Snitker took over as manager on May 16, 2016, the Braves had a majors-leading 45 last at-bat wins, and this season,
“It’s nothing about me,” Snitker said. “It’s about the guys. Their mindset, I think, and how they stay current in the game. They just don’t ever feel out (of a game). It’s a good trait to have.”
Since May 16
