Eighth-Inning Rally Lifts Braves Over Twins in Dramatic Home Win
- Charles Mays
- 16 hours ago
- 3 min read
The Atlanta Braves returned home Friday night looking to hit the reset button after a rough road stretch. Hosting the struggling Minnesota Twins at Truist Park, both clubs were eager to snap out of early-season funks. What looked like another quiet loss for Atlanta quickly turned into a thrilling comeback thanks to an explosive eighth inning.
Early Inning Struggles
Bryce Elder got the starting nod for the Braves, still searching for rhythm on the mound. He worked a clean first inning, surrendering just a walk before striking out Trevor Larnach to end the frame. But trouble came fast in the second.
Carlos Correa opened the inning with a double, later scoring on Ryan Jeffers’ RBI double. Rookie Luke Keaschall, making his MLB debut for Minnesota, added to the damage with an RBI single of his own to put the Twins up 2-0. Keaschall also swiped his first career bag, showing an early flair for the spotlight.
Atlanta threatened in the bottom half, putting runners on the corners with two outs. But Nick Allen struck out to end the inning, a frustrating trend that has plagued the Braves all season.
The third brought more trouble for Elder, who gave up a solo shot to Larnach, his first of the year, extending the Twins' lead to 3-0. Atlanta’s bats remained quiet in their half, capped off by an Austin Riley strikeout.
Minnesota Keeps Adding
Keaschall stayed hot in the fourth with his second hit, a double, and later came around to score on Edouard Julien’s sac fly to make it 4-0 Twins. The Braves managed back-to-back singles from Ozzie Albies and Sean Murphy in the bottom half, but Michael Harris went down swinging to leave two more stranded.
Jarred Kelenic finally sparked some life for Atlanta in the fifth, drilling a solo home run, just his second of the season, to cut the deficit to 4-1. Still, the game remained mostly stagnant for several innings as both offenses went quiet.
Offense Looked Dead Before the Breakthrough
Into the eighth inning, the Braves were a dismal 4-for-27 at the plate and their top four hitters were a combined 0-for-13. With little energy and few scoring chances, it looked like another forgettable night was on the horizon. The stadium was quiet, and so was the dugout.
Eighth-Inning Explosion
Trailing 4-1 entering the bottom of the eighth, Atlanta desperately needed a spark, and got it in a big way. After an Austin Riley strikeout, Marcell Ozuna reached on a walk, and Matt Olson followed with a single to put runners on the corners. Albies delivered an infield RBI single to make it 4-2, then Sean Murphy drew a walk to load the bases with one out.
Up stepped Michael Harris, and the moment didn’t faze him. Harris cracked a clutch two-RBI single, tying the game at 4-4. But the Braves weren’t done.
Next up, rookie catcher Drake Baldwin stepped into the box. Baldwin slapped a two-RBI single to center, flipping the game on its head and giving the Braves a 6-4 lead, capping off a five-run explosion that stunned the Twins and reignited Truist Park.
The Braves' bullpen performed exceptionally, with Enyel De Los Santos delivering 1 2/3 scoreless innings to secure the win, and Raisel Iglesias finishing the game with a flawless ninth inning for his third save of the season.
Final Thoughts
What looked like another long night for Atlanta quickly became one of their most energizing wins of the season. The Braves’ offense, cold as ice through seven frames, came alive in a blink to steal a victory. This was the kind of inning that can change a team’s season, and it’s also why baseball is so beautiful. A game that seemed dead can flip in a heartbeat. No clock, no quitting, just the chance for one magical inning to rewrite the entire night. Now, the Braves will look to build off this momentum as the series continues Saturday at Truist Park.
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