When Matt Kemp hit a two-run homer in the 11th inning Wednesday, it was the veteran slugger’s first walk-off homer since 2012, but the third walk-off win for the Braves in a five-day span.
The Braves, a team still five games under .500 (33-38), had the distinction of leading the majors with 12 wins in their final at-bat.
“It just shows the fight that we have,” Kemp said. “We’re never out of games. Especially the offense that we have. We can up put up a lot runs at any given point or any given moment, so we always chip away and make a game out of most games.”
After getting walk-off hits from second baseman Brandon Phillips both Saturday and Sunday and Kemp’s seventh career walk-off homer Wednesday, the Braves led the National League with six walk-off hits. Before Thursday they were 7-1 in games when tied after eight innings.
“We’ve played some really close games,” Kemp said. “I still think we need to do a better job of closing out games — offensively and defensively, we’ve just got to do a better job. But it’s good to come out on top. We make it a little hard on ourselves sometimes, but it’s always exciting to get wins like that.”
Braves manager Brian Snitker was asked whether it was “fun” to be part of so many last at-bat and walk-off wins lately.
“I don’t know if it’s fun going through,” he said, smiling. “It’s fun after. It’s good to see, it’s gratifying to see that these guys are never out of a game. That’s why in the seventh inning sometimes and we’re down two or three runs, we’re playing it like we’re a run ahead or (tied), because if (the Braves) have at-bats left you have to give them a chance. Because they’ll find a way to make it happen.
“It doesn’t happen all the time, but these guys are pretty good about staying the course and not giving away at-bats, and doing what they do.”
It’s worth noting that the Braves’ three walk-off hits in the past week came from Phillips, who’ll turn 36 next week, and Kemp, 32, a 12-year-veteran who many said was in career decline when the Braves traded for him 11 months ago in a deal to unload the contract of disappointing Hector Olivera.
And the player who singled and scored the winning run on both of Phillips’ walk-off hits was prospect Johan Camargo, 23, who has performed so well in his first significant playing time that the Braves sent rookie third baseman Rio Ruiz back to Triple-A on Tuesday since Camargo has been playing almost every day at third base lately.
That’s a microcosm of a clubhouse mix that Kemp said has contributed to the Braves’ late-innings success and their enjoyment of playing together.
“We’ve got old guys, we’ve got young guys, we’ve got kind-of-old guys,” he said. “It is fun, we’re having a lot of fun. But we know what’s the task at hand, that’s to keep winning ballgames. At least get to .500 and then go from there. We get another great hitter back, Freddie (Freeman), and we’ll get this thing rolling.”
Where does Kemp fit in those categories he named?
“I’m old,” he said, laughing. “No, I’m not old yet, I think I’m kind-of old. I’m getting up there. Nah, we’re having a lot of fun. It’s fun to get walk-offs and they can definitely carry over to the next day and help you win ballgames.”
Kemp has silenced skeptics since the trade from San Diego, batting .301 with 35 doubles, 24 homers, 76 RBIs and an .886 OPS in 116 games since joining the Braves at the beginning of August. Inserted immediately into the cleanup spot after arriving, he gave 3-hole hitter Freeman protection in the form of the power-hitting right-handed presence the Braves lacked prior to the trade for Kemp, a former National League MVP runner-up.
Braves manager Brian Snitker agrees with Kemp that veterans such as Kemp, Nick Markakis, Brandon Phillips, Tyler Flowers and Kurt Suzuki have helped set a tone that lends itself to the never-die attitude the team has shown.
“They do continue to fight, and I think the young guys see those veteran guys never giving at-bats away and continuing to fight and wanting to be in there,” Snitker said. “Those guys all show up to play every day, and I think when the young guys see the guys that have been around a while reacting like that, it kind of sets a great tone for this ballclub. He’s exactly right, because it does start with those guys, they’re the ones they look to.
“It’s what you hope for out of your veteran guys. They don’t have to get in there and pound their chests or get on a soapbox. You learn and you see how they do it, is more than words and all that. Just how they go about it is what those (young) guys look at, how they handle themselves in the dugout, in adversity, and these guys don’t panic, they’re not in here screaming and yelling. Everybody’s pulling for each other and just playing the game, so it’s good.”
