LAKE BUENA VISTA, Fla. – The springtime of prospects continued for the Braves when a youthful contingent helped fuel a ninth-inning comeback win Tuesday against the New York Mets.
Prospects Mallex Smith and Dansby Swanson each had an extra-base hit before veteran Emilio Bonifacio’s game-ending single scored Swanson for a 5-4 win in a Grapefruit League game at Champion Stadium. Prospect Ozzie Albies also advanced a runner with a groundout in the two-run inning.
“I’m going to keep them up here as long as I can,” Braves manager Fredi Gonzalez said of the trio of center fielder Smith and shortstops Swanson and Albies, none of whom was expected to make the team out of spring training, but all of whom figure to be big parts of the Braves’ future.
“It’s nice to get a glimpse of them and put them in situations,” said Gonzalez, who noted a sixth-inning at-bat when Smith popped out with runners at second and third and one out and the Braves trailing by a run. “He didn’t have a good at-bat. Then he came out in the ninth inning, made himself an adjustment, got settled down and hit a leadoff double. So it’s nice to see those guys progress.
“You see the talent, you see the ability, you see all this stuff…. They’ll let us know when they’re ready. But I’ve really been impressed with all three of those young men.”
Smith had two doubles to give him a .438 average (7-for-16) with six extra-base hits (two triples, one homer) and a 1.063 slugging percentage, tops among Braves who have more than five at-bats.
After Smith led off the ninth with a double, Albies hit a grounder that advanced him to third, Swanson’s triple tied the score. Jeff Francoeur grounded out for the second out before Bonifacio singled up the middle to bring home Swanson with the winning run.
Albies is 6-for-12 with a home run, two walks and one strikeout, and his four RBIs are tied with Smith for the team lead. Swanson is 4-for-14 (.286) with two extra-base hits.
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