Ender Inciarte had a feeling when he got to SunTrust Park on Monday. He’d never had five hits in his major league career, but the Braves center fielder had a feeling.
So he proposed a bet with Braves rookie shortstop Dansby Swanson, whose glorious hair – his “flow” – has become renowned.
“When we were warming up before the game I told him, hey man, if I get five hits today can you get a haircut?” Inciarte said, smiling. “And he said, ‘No.’ And I said, you’re not going to get the haircut? It’s five hits. That’s hard to do. And he goes, ‘No, I’m not going to do it, because you’re going to get five.’ Then I told Rio (Ruiz, rookie third baseman) and Rio said yes.
“So we’ll see. We’re going to have a negotiation and Wednesday we might see him with a new look.”
Yes, Ruiz’s own well-managed mane might get buzzed the next time the Braves’ barber is at the ballpark, because Inciarte got a career-high five hits Monday.
He went 5-for-5 with five singles in five plate appearances during a 5-2 win against Pittsburgh, including three hits against Pirates ace Gerrit Cole. Inciarte had collected four hits in six games, but never five.
“That’s a week for a lot of people,” Braves manager Brian Snitker said. “The kid’s amazing to me. He got out of the gates (this season) not real good, but when you look up, again, he’s going to be hitting .280, .300 or better. He’s got a knack. He doesn’t over-swing, puts the ball in play – it’s great.”
Inciarte, 26, raised his batting average 21 points in one night, to .279 with a .327 on-base percentage. A year ago in his third major league season and first with the Braves, he hit .291 with a career-best .351 OBP and won his first Gold Glove.
“He’s an exciting player to watch, for sure,” said first baseman Matt Adams, who hit a two-run homer in his second game since being traded to the Braves from the Cardinals after slugging Freddie Freeman fractured his left wrist. “Saw (Inciarte excel) too many times on the other side the last couple of years. He brings a lot to the table, fun guy to watch.”
Inciarte was the first Braves player to go 5-for-5 or better since Jason Heyward had five hits against the Phillies on Sept. 26, 2013. The only other National League player to go 5-for-5 or better this season was the Nationals’ Anthony Rendton, who went 6-for-6 with three homers and 10 RBIs in a remarkable performance against the Mets.
Inciarte was the first Braves player to have a 5-for-5 game without an extra-base hit since Marcus Giles in 2003.
“I’ve been working very hard because I’ve been inconsistent,” Inciarte said. “Sometimes I’m too hard on myself and try to do too much. Today I just tried to simplify everything, just see the ball, hit the ball the other way, and just let the ball travel (deep into zone before swinging). Hopefully I’m going to stay consistent from now on because that’s the most important part for every player.”
As the Braves’ leadoff man, Inciarte knows the importance of his contributions at the plate and what it means if he can be on base consistently with run-producers behind him such as Brandon Phillips, Matt Kemp, Nick Markakis and now Matt Adams.
The Braves have won eight of their past 11 games including three of five since losing their best player, Freeman, who led the National League in homers and slugging percentage before getting hit by a pitch that fractured his left wrist and is expected to sideline him for about 10 weeks.
“Every day we miss him because he’s Freddie, he’s the best,” Inciarte said. “For me, the best player in the big leagues. When you don’t have him in the lineup, it’s not good for us. But we’re trying our best. It’s going to be a while before he comes back, but we’re going to do our best to be in a good place for when he comes back.”
