ATLANTA -- Remember when Ronald Acuña Jr. hit a game-tying home run in the eighth inning of a comeback win in Philadelphia last weekend? Well, that’s no longer the Braves most significant, or most thrilling, win of the season.
That distinction now belongs to the spirited 6-5 win the Braves claimed over the Phillies in 11 innings on Friday night at Truist Park. Atlanta strengthened its National League East lead with this extra-inning victory that included three lead changes after the ninth inning and Ha-Seong Kim's latest heroics.
“People got their money's worth tonight,” Braves first baseman Matt Olson said. “That's for sure. That was a great game.”
Thanks to Drake Baldwin scoring Kim from first base with a walk-off double, the Braves (87-61) exited this thriller with a five-game lead over the second-place Phillies (82-66) in the division. Both teams will have just 12 games remaining when they conclude this three-game series on Sunday.
“First and foremost, I think we have to give hats off to [manager Walt Weiss],” Braves outfielder Brewer Hicklen said. “He managed the absolute best that a manager can do. It was incredible to watch and be a part of. It was just a great team win.”
Weiss utilized 12 position players and made a successful gamble when he had Hicklen pinch-run for Olson to begin the bottom of the 10th. Three of the four runs Atlanta scored in extra innings were tallied by pinch-runners.
Here is a look back at the key moments:
Keirsey’s dash
Many of the fans in the sellout crowd of 40,161 might not have known much about DaShawn Keirsey Jr., who was promoted from Triple-A Gwinnett when Lane Thomas was placed on the injured list on Friday morning. Keirsey’s primary purpose will be to serve as a pinch-runner, a role he impressively filled as he scored from first base when center fielder Derek Hill bobbled Sean Murphy’s game-tying single in the ninth.
The Phillies had an 89% win probability when Austin Riley struck out to begin the bottom of the ninth. The Braves had a 70% win probability after Keirsey showed the speed that has helped him steal 40 bases for Gwinnett this year.
Hicklen’s sprint
After Justin Crawford tallied an RBI single off Raisel Iglesias in the top of the 10th, Weiss sent Hicklen to second base to serve as the automatic runner in place of Olson. He removed his veteran first baseman, who had hit his 38th homer in the first inning. But the game wouldn’t have gotten to the 11th inning had Hicklen’s speed not allowed him to narrowly score on Mauricio Dubón’s sacrifice fly.
Hicklen has played just 14 games for the Braves this year. But Atlanta fans will long remember the key role he played in what may remain the regular season’s most memorable win.
“You talk about a roller-coaster game, right?” Hicklen said. “Up and down. Up and down, but you're just never out of it until the last out. It was really cool to be a part of for sure.”
Kim’s victorious lap
Kim looked like a $20-million bust when he hit .068 during his first 27 games, and then spent July trying to get right with Gwinnett. But the veteran shortstop regained some favor when he came off the bench to deliver a walk-off hit in an Aug. 26 win over the Dodgers.
The South Korean infielder entered this game to pinch-run for Murphy in the ninth. He further distanced himself from his sunk-cost status when he drilled the game-tying, two-out single that came off his bat at 106.5 mph in the 11th.
When Baldwin followed with his game-ending double, Kim raced first-to-home and slid headfirst across the plate with the winning run.
“You think about all of the stuff he's been through and then you fast forward to later in the season, and he's got two of the biggest hits of the season,” Weiss said. “You love you love when guys persevere and the game rewards them for it.”
Chris Sale allowed just three hits and three runs over seven innings and Olson’s 38th homer was his first since Aug. 26. Riley got the rally started with his seventh-inning homer off Aaron Nola. As for Atlanta’s rock-solid bullpen, it didn’t allow an earned run over four innings.
It was a night where every Braves player seemed to contribute and it was a night that will be fondly remembered if Atlanta does indeed win the NL East.
“We still have a ways to go,” Weiss said. “We don't ever take anything for granted. We never will. But there were some pretty big consequences to that game one way or the other.”