PHILADELPHIA – After a three-week demotion to Triple-A in May, Braves third baseman Adonis Garcia set out to prove he belonged in a major league lineup. He’s made a strong case for three months, and folks are taking notice.
Team officials have stopped mentioning third base as a need going into next season. For a while, the position was usually listed with catching and starting pitching as likely offseason priorities.
But that was before Garcia kept hitting … and hitting … and hitting some more.
“Since he got back (from Triple-A) he’s been a new man, offensively and defensively,” Braves general manager John Coppolella said. “He’s done a nice job.”
Garcia had two homers and three RBIs in the Braves’ 6-4 win Saturday against the Phillies, his fifth consecutive multi-hit game during the Braves’ five-game winning streak before Sunday’s series finale at Philadelphia.
He had a .321 average with 25 extra-base hits (eight homers), a .373 OBP and .531 slugging percentage in his past 48 games before Sunday’s series finale at Philadelphia, and the Braves were 24-24 in those games.
“I feel like the team’s just clicking, and I kind of feed off that as well,” Garcia said through a translator. “We’re just all playing well and we’re doing all the little things right now. It’s good to see that, to see us execute.”
In his past 70 games – since June 10, two weeks after he returned from Triple-A — Garcia had a .299 average with 20 doubles, 12 homers, 40 RBIs, a .341 OBP and .500 slugging percentage.
“I’m just trying to do my job and show not just to the Braves, but to myself, that I can do it, that I belong here,” he said. “I put in the work and basically I’m going to stay here and keep playing the way I’ve been playing. I put in all the work and I’m trying to prove to myself and to whoever I need to, that I belong.”
Garcia has taken his offense to an ever higher level since interim manager Brian Snitker moved him into the No. 2 spot in the lineup between hot hitters Ender Inciate and Freddie Freeman. The move was questioned by many observers when it was made, since the free-swinging Garcia didn’t fit the mold of the typical 2-hole hitter.
He was in the second spot in the lineup for the 15th consecutive game Sunday and the 24th time this season. All Garcia had done in the position before Sunday was bat .303 (30-for-99) with five doubles, five homers, 14 RBIs and a .355 OBP and .505 slugging percentage.
“I really feel like the first two guys (Inciaret and Garcia) are setting the table for us offensively,” said Braves cleanup hitter Matt Kemp, “and then me, Freddie and (Nick) Markakis and the rest of us are just feeding off of that. You can’t really score runs without those first two guys getting on base and doing what they’re doing.”
Garcia said, “I do feel good in the No. 2 spot. I feel like I’m getting better pitches to hit just due to the fact that the guys hitting behind me.”
