Ender Inciarte wasn’t back in the leadoff spot Thursday, but was almost halfway back there from the nine-hole.
Braves manager Brian Snitker reverted to a conventional batting order, with the pitcher batting ninth Thursday for a series opener against the Marlins. He’d said he would when asked about it Wednesday before an interleague series finale at Tampa Bay where the designated hitter was used.
Inciarte responded by going 3-for-5 with two doubles, an RBI and a stolen base in Thursday’s 9-2 win at Marlins Park. That gave him five hits, three RBIs and three steals in the past two games, after going 0-for-18 in the previous five.
Inciarte hit ninth -- behind the Braves pitcher -- in seven consecutive games from April 29 through Sunday, before moving to the seventh spot when the pitcher was out of the lineup for two games against the Rays.
Before his move to the ninth spot Inciarte batted exclusively in the leadoff spot since Aug. 5, 2016, including all 25 starts in the Braves’ first 26 games this season through April 28.
But on April 29, Snitker surprised many by shuffling things up, moving hot-hitting Ozzie Albies to the leadoff spot, dropping Inciarte to ninth and hitting the pitcher in the eighth spot. Snitker wasn’t entirely sold on the idea at the time but said he was doing it to “get Ender going.”
“I think he’s beating himself up, it’s starting to pile up on him,” Snitker said after posting the lineup April 29. “Sometimes I think you’ve got to change the scenery a little bit for a guy. I had a long talk with him. What it does, too, it gives us two leadoff guys. And kind of gets him out of the fray.”
The timing of that move struck some as odd, as Inciarte had rebounded from a rough start -- .183 in his first 14 games -- to hit .346 and a .370 OBP in his last 11 games before he was dropped from leadoff, albeit with no extra-base hits among his 18 hits in that 11-game stretch.
After the lineup shuffle, Inciarte went 6-for-12 with four extra-base hits in his first three games batting ninth, but was 0-for-18 in his next five games before getting two hits in Wednesday series-finale win at Tampa Bay.
When Snitker posted the lineup for Thursday’s series opener at Miami, Inciarte was in the sixth spot, behind Kurt Suzuki and ahead of Jose Bautista. Johan Camargo, filling in at shortstop with Dansby Swanson on the disabled list, was in the eighth spot ahead of pitcher Mike Foltynewicz.
“I don’t mind where I’m at,” Inciarte said of hitting sixth. “I just want to be able to help the team win, be in position to get some good at-bats and hopefully do my part.”
Snitker said the lineup could fluctuate, but that he would try Inciarte in the sixth spot for the time being, and the manager also indicated the two-time Gold Glove center fielder could work his way back into the leadoff spot, where Snitker clearly likes having Inciarte.
“I don’t know. Just for now,” Snitker said of batting Inciarte sixth. “Just depends on what the guys up top do. I still kind of like what they’re doing. If we get him down there, and he’s swinging the bat OK, he can maybe knock some runs in. And he can still turn it loose and run around. We’ll see how it works.”
Inciarte and especially Albies turned it loose Thursday on the Marlins. Albies had a grand slam and a career-high five RBIs in the rout, and in 11 games from the leadoff spot he’s hit .308 (16-for-52) with three doubles, four homers, 16 RBIs and a .327 OBP and .596 slugging percentage.
Inciarte had a .259 average and .300 OBP in 25 games from the leadoff position with two extra-base hits (doubles) and a .277 slugging percentage.
Snitker was asked about possibly having Albies and Inciarte platoon at leadoff, since Albies has crushed left-handed pitching -- .419 (18-for-44) with six doubles, four homers, .837 slugging – and Inciarte had a higher average (.274) and OBP (.320) against right-handers than Albies (.223/.278).
Inciarte has hit .222 (8-for-36) with a .532 OPS vs. lefties.
“I could. I don’t know,” Snitker said, his tone indicating the platoon idea wasn’t something that did much for him. “Part of me still thinks that Ender still has a chance of being a real good leadoff hitter because he has been for a long time. So, just kind of working his way back up there. Not so sure. ...
“Like I said, just going to play with it for a while, leave him there for the time being and see what happens.”
While Inciarte still is hitting just .265 overall with a .313 OBP and .338 slugging percentage in 35 games, he’s the major league stolen-base leader with 16 in 18 attempts. He’snly seven shy of the career-high 22 steals he had in 2017.
Inciarte credits offseason work with a speed coach in Orlando and work he’s done since spring training with first-year Braves base-running instructor and first-base coach Eric Young, a former stolen-base champion.
“I aways knew I could steal more bases,” Inciarte said. “I think I never took advantage of it. I worked a lot in the offseason on my base running and stealing bases, but the main thing for me is having EY with me. He’s been unbelievable, all the help he gives me every day. He comes and talks to me and he’s been impressive. I mean, I knew he was good; I had him in Arizona (Young was on the Diamondbacks staff when Inciarte played for Arizona). And he just keeps surprising me.
“I’m glad we have him on our team. I try to keep learning from him. If I keep stealing bases I’m going to be in the best position to score more runs, so it’s going to be great for the team.”
