Braves Clippings Thursday, September 10, 2020 Braves.com

Braves set NL standard with 29- outburst

Atlanta breaks Modern Era record in (since 1900)

By Mark Bowman

ATLANTA -- produced his second three-homer game within an eight-day span to help the Braves roll to a record-setting 29-9 win over the Marlins on Wednesday night at .

Duvall became the first player to record two three-homer games while wearing a Braves uniform, and his efforts helped Atlanta set a National League record for runs in a game in the modern era (since 1900).

“That was pretty amazing to be a part of,” Braves said. “I’ve never seen an offense click like that.”

The Braves fell just one run short of tying the modern record for runs scored in a game, set when the Rangers defeated the Orioles, 30-3, in the first game of a doubleheader on Aug. 22, 2007, at Camden Yards.

Dating back to 1900, no NL club had scored more than 28 runs in a game. The Braves’ franchise record was 23, a mark tallied during the second game of a doubleheader against the Cubs on Sept. 2, 1957.

Ronald Acuña Jr. contributed to his three- night with a three-run to cap a six-run fifth. But it was his bases-loaded in the sixth that gave the Braves a new franchise record for runs in a single game, opening a 25-8 lead.

According to the Elias Sports Bureau, Atlanta became the first MLB team to score at least 22 runs through the first five since the Blue Jays (24 runs) in a win over the Orioles on June 26, 1978.

“It’s one of those weird nights where you just get rolling,” said.

Travis d’Arnaud, Duvall and all homered in the Braves' 11-run second inning, the first such inning in the Majors this year; the team also tallied 10 runs in the second inning of an Aug. 30 win in Philadelphia.

Adding to the significance of this eruption was the fact it prevented the Braves from being swept by the Marlins, who had claimed a shutout win on Tuesday. Snitker responded to his team being blanked by moving Freeman back to the second spot of the order on Tuesday.

• 29-9 is first new score in 21 years

“You never know what can happen when you juggle some pieces around,” Duvall said. “Baseball is a funny game. You can be off one night and the next night have the best night of your life. That is baseball.”

Here’s a breakdown of this record-setting performance that kept the Braves' lead in the National League East at two games over the Phillies:

• Duvall capped his memorable night with a seventh-inning . This three-homer game was produced exactly one week after he powered his first at . He now has eight home runs within his past 29 at-bats.

• According to STATS, Duvall is the first player in history to homer with one man on, two men on and the bases loaded, in that order, in a game. He is also just the second player in NL history to have two three-homer games within 10 days of each other, joining the Cardinals' who accomplished the feat on July 13 and 20, 1938. Duvall is also the first player in the Majors to ever have two such games in the same September. His 13 home runs match for the team lead.

• Freeman drove in a career-high six runs and reached the 1,500-hit milestone with a two-run homer in the third inning off Marlins reliever Jordan Yamamoto, who was charged with 13 runs over 2 2/3 innings.

• Albies accounted for another of Atlanta’s seven homers with a solo shot in the second inning. This was his first game played since being placed on the with a right wrist bone bruise on Aug. 5.

• Wednesday night marked the fifth time in franchise history the Braves hit at least seven home runs in a game. • The Braves have scored at least 10 runs in an inning in two of the three starts Tommy Milone has made since being acquired from the Orioles on Aug. 30. Milone lasted just 2 1/3 innings after being given a 10-0 second-inning lead in Philadelphia on the day of the trade. He was charged with eight runs over 3 1/3 innings on Wednesday.

DYK? Facts from Braves' historic eruption

By Sarah Langs, Manny Randhawa and Andrew Simon @SlangsOnSports and @MannyOnMLB and @AndrewSimonMLB

The bottom of the first inning seemed normal enough on Wednesday night in Atlanta. After Braves leadoff man Ronald Acuña Jr. drew a walk, Marlins starter Pablo López retired the next three batters, and the game went to the second inning in a scoreless tie.

But after that, it quickly became a historically high-scoring night.

The Braves broke out with an 11-run second, their first inning with at least that many runs scored since they plated 11 on April 7, 2004, against the Mets. That would have been enough, but it didn’t stop there -- not by a long shot.

By the time it was all over, the Braves had battered their way to a 29-9 victory over , making a spirited run at the modern MLB record for runs scored in a game. The National League East leaders came up one run short, settling for the NL record, but here are all of the mind-blowing facts you need to know about their rocket-fueled performance.

Making a run at the Rangers 1) The Braves fell just one run short of tying the modern record (since 1900) for runs scored in a game, set when the Rangers defeated the Orioles, 30-3, in the first game of a doubleheader on Aug. 22, 2007, at Camden Yards. Amazingly, there are at least two direct links from that game to Wednesday’s. Atlanta third-base was managing the Rangers back in 2007, while Atlanta -- who was on the bench Wednesday -- was the Orioles’ starting right fielder in the record-setting contest.

2) The Braves set a modern record (since 1900) for an NL team, passing the 1929 Cardinals, who beat the Phillies, 28-6, on July 6, 1929. The all-time NL (and MLB) record was set on June 29, 1897, when the Chicago Colts (now the Cubs) blew out the , 36-7.

3) The Braves’ 29 runs were a franchise record for the Modern Era, but the Braves have been playing baseball a lot longer than that. Overall, 29 runs is tied for the second-most by the Braves franchise in a game. In 1883, as the Boston Beaneaters, they scored 30 runs on June 9, then scored 29 on June 20.

4) The 29 runs were the most for Atlanta since it defeated the Marlins, 20-3, on Oct. 5, 2001, in a game that had been rescheduled from Sept. 14 of that year due to the 9/11 terrorist attacks. Overall, the Braves have scored 20 or more runs in a times in the Modern Era.

5) There’s a common saying that any baseball game can bring something nobody has ever seen before -- even after well over 100 years of MLB history. This game was a good example. It was the first game to finish with a score of 29-9 -- MLB’s first never-before-seen score in more than two decades.

Duvall drives homer explosion 1) Atlanta left fielder Adam Duvall contributed in a big way, smashing three home runs -- for the second time in seven days. He became the first player in Braves franchise history with multiple three-homer games. That’s in a career in a Braves uniform, not just a single season.

2) Duvall’s first three-homer game came on Sept. 2, giving him two such performances in both eight-day and eight-game spans. He’s the second player in the last 35 seasons with two three-homer games in an eight-game span, according to the Elias Sports Bureau, along with last year. But Cruz’s eight games were over a longer span of days than Duvall’s. The only player in Major League history with two three-homer games in a shorter span of days than Duvall is Doug DeCinces, who did so for the Angels on Aug. 3 and Aug. 8, 1982.

3) Duvall drove in nine runs on those three big flies, becoming the first player since the Nationals’ Mark Reynolds on July 7, 2018, to have a nine-RBI game. It also tied a Braves single-game record. Amazingly, that record was held by a , Tony Cloninger, who belted two grand slams and an RBI single while also throwing a complete game to beat the Giants on July 3, 1966.

4) Duvall became the first player in MLB history to hit a two-run homer, three-run homer and a grand slam in a game in that order.

5) Including Duvall’s three homers, the Braves launched seven on the night, accomplishing the feat for the fifth time in franchise history, and the first time since smashing a franchise-record-tying eight on May 26, 2008, in a 13-12 win over the Cubs at . In that game, Edgar Renteria and Adam LaRoche each hit two homers, and Ryan Langerhans, Marcus Giles, and Brayan Peña each went deep as well. The other occasion in which the Braves hit eight homers in a game was on Aug. 30, 1953, when the Milwaukee Braves beat the Pirates, 19-4, in the first game of a doubleheader at Forbes Field.

6) Eighteen of the Braves’ 29 runs came as a result of home runs. According to Elias, that ties an MLB record for most runs in a game coming via home run. Blowout buddies 1) How wild a day was this in the Majors? On Wednesday afternoon in Detroit, the Brewers blew out the Tigers, 19-0, for the third-largest win in franchise history. And yet, Milwaukee did not end up with the biggest margin of victory of the day, thanks to Atlanta.

2) This is the second time in Major League history -- and first in the Modern Era -- that two teams have won by 19 or more runs on a single date. On July 4, 1884, Chicago beat Philadelphia, 22-3, in the National League, and Boston beat Kansas City by the same score in the Union Association.

3) The Brewers and Braves combined for 48 runs scored. That’s the most runs two teams have combined to score in different games, on the same day, since Sept. 10, 1891, according to Elias. Way back then, the -- a defunct franchise not related to the current Brew Crew -- beat the Washington Statesman, 30-3. On the same day, the Boston Beaneaters -- who later became the Braves -- defeated the Reds, 18-6.

What a difference a day makes 1) Just one day earlier, at the same ballpark, the Marlins had shut out the Braves, 8-0, behind six innings from rookie Sixto Sánchez. Now the Marlins are the first modern team to give up 29 more runs in one game than it did in the previous game. That edged the 2007 Orioles, who beat the Rangers, 6-2, in the game before they sustained the record-setting 30-3 loss.

2) On Aug. 30, the Marlins lost 12-7 to the Rays. But in the nine games between then and Wednesday, Miami allowed a grand total of 24 runs across 72 2/3 innings -- or five fewer than it allowed in just eight innings Wednesday.

3) This was, of course, the most runs the Marlins had allowed in a game in franchise history, as well as their widest margin of defeat. Previously, their record for runs allowed came in a 25-8 loss at Boston on June 27, 2003. Their largest defeat (19 runs) came in a 20-1 loss at Philadelphia on April 7, 2018.

4) López allowed seven runs in 1 2/3 innings, but it was reliever Jordan Yamamoto who ended up with the truly lopsided score line. Yamamoto allowed 13 runs (12 earned) on 11 hits and two walks in 2 2/3 innings, serving up four homers. Yamamoto joined the Royals’ Vin Mazzaro (May 16, 2011) as the only relievers in the past 75 years to allow at least 13 runs in a game.

Duvall makes history with second 3-HR game

By Mark Bowman

ATLANTA -- Adam Duvall can now say he has done something that not even Aaron, or anybody else in a Braves uniform ever did.

Duvall produced a three-homer game for the second time in eight days as the Braves rolled to a 29-9 win over the Marlins on Wednesday night at Truist Park. The veteran outfielder now stands as the only player in franchise history to record a second three-homer game.

“That list of names, it’s pretty cool to be the only one who has done it,” Duvall said. “I don’t know if it’s completely sunk in yet.”

Nobody had previously recorded more than one three-homer game while playing for the Braves. Duvall has now done so on consecutive Wednesdays. He produced the first of his career during the Sept. 2 win at Fenway Park.

“It’s 2020,” Braves manager Brian Snitker said. “Things that are weird are happening here.”

Duvall capped his memorable night with a seventh-inning grand slam. He now has eight home runs within his past 29 at-bats. His first on Tuesday was three-run homer in the 11-run second inning.

“It’s absolutely incredible what he has done, not only tonight, but the last 10 days,” Braves first baseman Freddie Freeman said of Duvall, whose 13 homers match Marcell Ozuna for the team lead.

According to STATS, Duvall is the first player in history to homer with one man on, two men on and the bases loaded, in that order, in a game. He is also just the second player in NL history to have two three-homer games within 10 days of each other, joining the Cardinals' Johnny Mize who accomplished the feat on July 13 and 20, 1938. Duvall is also the first player in the Majors to ever have two such games in the same September.

For 1st time since '99, a score not seen before

Por Andy Werle

The Braves shattered several records with their rout of the Marlins on Wednesday at Truist Park, including the modern National League mark for runs in a game, but it took both teams' contributions to reach one particular milestone: No Major League game had ever ended with a final score of 29-9. According to Jeremy Frank, who goes by @MLBRandomStats on Twitter, the 29-9 decision was the first "Scorigami," or unique final score, in MLB since the Reds beat the Rockies 24-12 on May 19, 1999.

Only two other games in MLB history have ended with one team having scored 29 runs: the Red Sox's 29-4 win over the St. Louis Browns on June 8, 1950, and the White Sox's 29-6 triumph over the Kansas City A's on April 23, 1955. The Rangers hold the modern MLB record (since 1900) for runs in a game with their 30-3 win over the Orioles on Aug. 22, 2007, but according to Frank, that was the second such decision in MLB history dating back to 1871.

Freeman goes deep for 1,500th career hit

By Mark Bowman

ATLANTA -- Braves first baseman Freddie Freeman homered for his 1,500th career hit and collected a career-high six RBIs during the 29-9 win claimed over the Marlins on Wednesday night at Truist Park.

“That’s a lot of hits and hopefully there’s a lot more to come,” Braves outfielder Adam Duvall said.

Freeman singled during the Braves' 11-run second inning and then tallied his 1,500th hit with a two-run homer during the third inning, making the score 13-5. The four-time All-Star entered the game knowing he was two hits shy of this milestone. He found out by asking a bat boy why they had requested one of the with which he’d recorded a recent hit to be thrown back to the dugout for commemoration.

Freeman is the 12th player in Braves franchise history to reach the 1,500-hit milestone. Chipper Jones (2,726), (1,901) and Andruw Jones (1,683) are the only other players with more hits than Freeman in Atlanta history, which dates back to 1966.

“It was nice to get it out of the way and move on,” Freeman said. “I already got a text from Chipper. It’s pretty special.”

Braves' 11-run 2nd only the beginning

By Mark Bowman

ATLANTA -- Ozzie Albies hit the last of the three home runs the Braves hit in an 11-run second inning en route to a National League-record 29-run outburst against the Marlins on Wednesday night at Truist Park. Atlanta won, 29-9.

Travis d’Arnaud, Adam Duvall and Albies all hit homers as the Braves became the first MLB team to tally at least 11 runs in an inning this year. The last team to have done so was, coincidentally, the Marlins, who produced an 11-run inning against the Brewers on June 4, 2019.

This marked the first time the Braves tallied at least 11 runs in an inning since they did so against the Mets on April 7, 2004. Julio Franco drove in three runs while tallying a pair of singles during that frame.

Dansby Swanson recorded a pair of singles during Wednesday night’s second-inning eruption. The first was followed by consecutive walks issued by Marlins starter Pablo López to and Duvall. An Albies groundout and 's sacrifice fly accounted for the inning’s first two runs. Duvall was nearly caught at third base on a throw from on Inciarte's sac fly, but he was ruled safe and the call stood after a challenge by Miami.

After that, the Braves sent nine more batters to the plate before the inning ended. Consecutive RBI singles by Freddie Freeman and Marcell Ozuna set the stage for d’Arnaud, who chased López with a three-run home run.

López, who was charged with seven runs in 1 2/3 innings, was replaced by Jordan Yamamoto, who allowed Swanson and Riley to single ahead of Duvall's two-run homer. Albies, who played for the first time since Aug. 4, then capped the big inning with a solo homer. The missed the past month with a right wrist bone bruise.

Albies part of history in return from IL

By Mark Bowman

ATLANTA -- After being activated from the injured list on Wednesday, Ozzie Albies discussed how hard it was to miss the past month with a right wrist bone bruise.

“It’s tough, because I like to play every day,” Albies said. “The toughest part was just watching the game on TV. I was sitting at home bored. All I could do is just wait and wait and wait.” Albies' wait ended on Wednesday, when he started at second base and batted eighth in a 29-9 blowout over the Marlins. Back in the Braves' lineup for the first time since Aug. 4, he homered during an 11-run second inning and finished the night with three hits as Atlanta set a National League record for runs scored in a game.

“It’s exciting to get him back,” manager Brian Snitker said. “Ozzie makes everyone feel better. The energy he brings and the person he is, it will be good to just see him back out there.”

To create a roster spot, the Braves optioned to the team’s alternate training site. Camargo has hit .200 with a .611 OPS in 127 plate appearances this year. His struggles led the Braves to give Adeiny Hechavarría most of the recent starts at second base.

Albies tallied 24 homers in each of the past two seasons and produced a .852 OPS last year. If a healthy wrist allows him to begin providing that kind of production again, he likely won’t be stuck in the lineup’s eighth spot the rest of the year.

“I’m really excited and happy to be back,” Albies said. “I want to help my team any way that I can. I want to bring all of the positive energy, enjoy the game and just get [wins].”

Albies felt some wrist discomfort during Summer Camp, but he still played 11 games before being placed on the injured list. The 23-year-old infielder recorded three extra-base hits, including a homer, during the season’s third game. But he hit .138 (4-for-29) and produced a .331 OPS over the next eight games.

Albies' discomfort was most severe when he attempted to swing from the right side. So in a last-ditch effort to avoid the injured list, the switch- hitter attempted to bat left-handed against Blue Jays left-hander Anthony Kay. He struck out and was shut down the next day.

Albies took live batting practice against on Sunday and continued to swing in a pain-free manner as he played an intrasquad game at the team’s alternate training site on Tuesday.

Atlanta Journal-Constitution

Everything you need to know about Braves’ 29-run victory

By The Atlanta Journal-Constitution

The Braves set a franchise record for runs scored in a 29-9 victory over the Marlins Thursday at Truist Park. It broke the franchise record of 23 runs and the Atlanta-era record of 20 runs. Here’s what you need to know about the offensive onslaught.

The notable

* It was the 20th time a team scored 25 or more runs in a game.

* It was the first time a National League team scored 29 runs in the modern era (since 1900). It was the fourth time in the last 120 years any team scored 29 runs.

* They hit seven homers, one shy of the franchise high. It was the most home runs they’ve hit in a home game.

* Eighteen of their runs were via the long ball.

* Every Braves' starting position player had at least one hit and scored at least one run. Eight had multi-hit games. Eight had RBIs.

* They fell one run shy of the major-league record of 30 RBIs in a game, which was set by Texas in 2007.

* They scored 11 runs in the second inning, the second time this season the Braves surpassed 10 runs in an inning. The only other time a Braves team had two 10-or-more-run innings in a season was 1950.

ExplorePhotos: Duvall, Braves set records at Truist Park

The hitters

* Adam Duvall went 3-for-4 with three home runs and nine RBIs. His performance comes one week after his first three-homer game as he came the first player in franchise history with two three-homer games. He hit a two-run and three-run homer and a grand slam.

* Duvall tied the Atlanta RBI record set by Tony Cloniger on July 3, 1966.

* Freddie Freeman had a career-high six RBIs. * Ronald Acuna went 3-for-4 with three walks, four runs scored and five RBIs.

* Ozzie Albies went 3-for-6, including a homer, with two RBIs and three runs scored.

* with 3-for-4 with five runs scored.

The

* Starter Tommy Milone gave up eight runs in 3-1/3 innings, yet his team won by 20.

* The Braves offense had its other 10-run frame against the Phillies on Aug. 30 in a Milone start. He became the first in the modern era to have his team score 10 or more runs in an inning while he was in the game twice in the same season, but not earn the win in either contest.

* earned a in a 20-run win after pitching the final four frames.

The manager

“I lost track of a lot of at-bats guys had. I asked (bench coach) Walt (Weiss) in there, ‘Did Duvall hit two or three (homers)?’ I couldn’t even remember.” – Brian Snitker

How the runs were scored

Second inning: Albies grounded out with the bases loaded, scoring the Braves' first run and cutting their deficit to 2-1 (yes, the Braves at one point trailed in the game). Ender Inciarte’s sacrifice fly tied it. Freeman and Marcell Ozuna singled in two more runs. Travis d’Arnaud homered, making it 7-2. Austin Riley singled home the eighth run. Duvall hit a two-run homer. Albies homered to cap the inning. The Braves scored 11 runs, 10 of which came with two outs. Score: 11-2.

Third inning: Freeman hit a two-run homer for his 1,500th hit of his career. Score: 13-2.

Fourth inning: Freeman laced a three-run double. The Braves had loaded the bases with a Duvall walk, Albies single and Acuna walk. Score 16-8.

Fifth inning: Duvall and Acuna hit a three-run homers. Score: 22-8.

Sixth inning: Acuna hit a three-run double. Score: 25-8.

Seventh inning: After d’Arnaud singled, Swanson walked and Riley singled to load the bases, Duvall put it into the seats again for his second three- homer game in eight days. Score. 29-9.

Braves score NL-record 29 runs in win over Marlins

By Gabriel Burns, The Atlanta Journal-Constitution

Wednesday was the best offensive night in Braves history.

The Braves scored a franchise-record 29 runs on 23 hits, obliterating the Marlins 29-9 at Truist Park. They avoided a sweep with the unprecedented victory, which came 24 hours after they were shut out.

It was the 20th time an MLB team scored 25 or more runs in a game. It was the fourth time in the last 120 years a team scored 29 runs, and the first time a National League team had done so in the modern era (since 1900). The Braves' previous Atlanta-era single-game scoring record was 20; their franchise record was 23.

They hit seven homers, which fell one shy of the franchise high. It was, however, the most home runs they’ve hit in a home game. Eighteen of their runs were via the long ball.

“That was pretty amazing to be a part of,” first baseman Freddie Freeman said. “I’ve never seen an offense click like that together. It’s really hard to put into words, really. When you look up and see 29 runs on the board, it’s amazing. It was a fun offensive night to be a part of.”

Every Braves' starting position player had at least one hit and scored at least one run. Eight of them had multi-hit games. Eight of them had RBIs. The team fell one run shy of the major-league record (30), which was set by Texas in 2007.

The Braves scored multiple runs in the second, third, fourth, fifth, sixth and seventh innings. The catalyst was an 11-run second frame, which was the second time this season the Braves surpassed 10 runs in an inning. The only other Braves team to post two 10-or-more-run innings in one season was the 1950 edition. Adam Duvall stood out among Braves hitters. One week after his first three-homer game, Duvall had a two-run shot, three-run shot and grand slam. Duvall tied the Atlanta RBI record set by Tony Cloniger on July 3, 1966. He also became the first player in franchise history with two three- homer games; funny enough, his other came earlier this month (Sept. 2) at Boston.

“It’s pretty crazy, to be honest,” Duvall said. “I’ve known that homers come in bunches, but something like that is special. I’m going to enjoy this one tonight. That’s a big night. Twenty-nine runs in the NL record. That’s just top to bottom, we were on tonight. Everybody swung the bat well. That’s big coming down the stretch here. That was a big night for us and hopefully we’ll be able to carry it into this long (10-game) road trip.”

Months ago, outsiders were wondering if Duvall would even participate in the COVID-19 shortened season. As a type-1 diabetic, Duvall could’ve opted out under the high-risk category. Instead, he remained committed to playing. And it’s difficult to imagine where the Braves would be without him.

Duvall and his team scored seven runs in 1-2/3 innings against Miami starter Pablo Lopez, who just one month ago defeated the Braves in Miami. It was an even worse evening for reliever Jordan Yamamoto, who was charged 13 runs (12 earned) on 11 hits in 2-2/3 innings.

Freeman had a career-high six RBIs. Travis d’Arnaud added six. Ronald Acuna went 3-for-4 with three walks, four runs scored and five RBIs. He’s the second player since 1920 to accumulate such numbers, joining Cincinnati’s Sean Casey, who went 4-for-4 with three walks, five runs scored and six RBIs on May 19, 1999.

“This offense, everybody grinds each at-bat,” Duvall said. “As a pitcher, that has to wear on you a bit. We do a good job of putting good at-bats together, one after another. It was a pretty special night.”

In his first game back from a bone bruise in his wrist, Ozzie Albies homered and brought home two runs. The switch-hitter went 3-for-6 with three runs scored. The Braves shuffled their lineup upon his return – it’s safe to say they’ll give this arrangement another look.

Starter Tommy Milone gave up eight runs in 3-1/3 innings, yet his team won by 20. Milone, who’s disappointed since the Braves acquired him before the Aug. 31 trade deadline, became part of history too.

The Braves offense had similarly bailed him out on Aug. 30 against the Phillies, when they produced their other 10-run frame that helped overcome Milone’s seven runs allowed. Milone became the first starting pitcher in the modern era to have his team score 10 or more runs in an inning while he was in the game twice in the same season, but not earn the win in either contest, according to STATS, INC.

One more pitching oddity to top it off: Bryse Wilson earned a save in a 20-run win after pitching the final four frames. Wilson allowed one run on four hits over that span, which will be overshadowed in the fireworks but is nonetheless encouraging for a team seeking innings eaters.

“Worn out,” manager Brian Snitker said after the game. “Offense was great. Duvall has just been something else lately, a lot of these guys have. It’s just one of those weird nights where they just get rolling. It’s cool. I lost track of a lot of at-bats guys had. I asked (bench coach) Walt (Weiss) in there, ‘Did Duvall hit two or three (homers)?’ I couldn’t even remember. It was good. Hopefully we can keep it going.”

Credit:

The anatomy of the Braves' all-time offensive onslaught:

Second inning: Albies, in his first at-bat since Aug. 4, grounded out with the bases loaded, scoring the Braves' first run and cutting their deficit to 2-1 (yes, the Braves at one point trailed in the game). Ender Inciarte’s sacrifice fly tied it. Freddie Freeman and Marcell Ozuna singled in two more runs. Travis d’Arnaud homered, making it 7-2.

Austin Riley singled home the eighth run. Adam Duvall hit a two-run homer. Albies homered to cap the inning. The Braves scored 11 runs, 10 of which came with two outs. Score: 11-2.

Third inning: Freeman hit a two-run homer. It was the 1,500th hit of his career. Freeman is the 26th active major leaguer to reach the mark and the 12th Braves player (eighth in the modern era) to do so. Score: 13-2.

Fourth inning: Freeman laced a three-run double. The Braves had loaded the bases with a Duvall walk, Albies single and Acuna walk. 16-8.

Fifth inning: The Braves scored six in the fifth to break their Atlanta-era scoring record. Duvall hit a three-run homer. Acuna’s three-run blast set the new record. 22-8.

Sixth inning: Acuna tacked on a three-run double, which broke the Braves franchise’s single-game scoring mark. 25-8.

Seventh inning: The Braves somehow had a grand slam left in them. d’Arnaud singled, Swanson walked and Riley singled to load the bases. Duvall put it into the seats again for his second three-homer game in eight days, tying the team’s single-game RBI record. 29-9.

“I don’t know that it’s completely soaked in yet,” Duvall said roughly 20 minutes following the four hour, 14-minute trek. “I’m going to soak it in and enjoy it tonight, then get ready for tomorrow’s game.”

What’s next: The Braves begin their final road trip of the season Thursday in Washington. They’ll face the Nationals four times, the Orioles three times and the Mets three times to complete the 10-game trip. will start Thursday in place of the injured Max Fried.

Could the Braves lose the East? Would it matter if they did?

By Mark Bradley, Atlanta Journal-Constitution

Tuesday will not be remembered as the greatest day in Braves' history. In the morning, they placed Max Fried, the last starting pitcher standing, on the injured list with back spasms. Several hours later, they lost 8-nil at home to Miami. Their lead in the National League East shrank to 1-1/2 games over Philadelphia — that’s the closest anyone has been since Aug. 21 — and 2-1/2 games over the Marlins.

Were this a normal season, the Braves would have cause to worry about their postseason chances. This being the least normal of seasons, they’re OK — more than OK, actually — on that front. FanGraphs gives them a 97.9 percent chance of making the playoffs: They’re 24-18 with 18 games remaining; any club that breaks .500 is apt to qualify for the 16-team tournament. As of Tuesday morning, 15 of MLB’s 30 teams held winning records.

In a normal season – apologies for having turned into a tape loop – the penalty for not winning the division is severe. You get thrust in the abominable wild-card game, where a curiously adjudged infield fly can render you one-and-done. (Not that we’re still bitter or anything.)

This expanded tournament offers more wiggle room. The top four seeds in each league play host to a best-of-three series, with all games being at the higher seed’s home park. (Unless you’re Toronto, in which case “home” is in a different country. Did we mention that this is no ordinary year?) That would seem a considerable advantage, until we recall that fans aren’t being allowed into ballparks in 2020. Still, the Braves are 14-10 at Truist Park; they’re 10-10 elsewhere.

Usually we make a semi-big deal of being tied in the loss column, the thought being that teams with a game or two in hand might hold a slight advantage. As we speak, the Braves, Phillies and Marlins each have 18 losses. Given COVID-induced postponements, the Phillies have played three fewer games than the Braves; the Marlins have played five. Seeing as how the chances of going 5-0 at any point in any baseball season aren’t great, this time you’d rather be the leader in the ol' clubhouse.

The irregular season ends Sept. 27. The Braves have 18 games remaining over the final 19 days. The Phillies have 21, including four doubleheaders. The Marlins have 23, also including four doubleheaders. Philly and Miami are about to play a possibly unprecedented seven-game series over five days. That cannot help but benefit the Braves.

It would still be difficult for them to finish first. They’re done with Philadelphia. Of their final 18 games, 13 are against sub-.500 teams. The other five are against the Marlins, and all of those will be staged in Cobb County. The caveat here, though, is a mighty one: Over a 60-game season, the Braves have somehow managed to run out of starting pitching, and the quickest way to lose a bunch of games in a row is to trail 4-0 every doggone night.

The Braves' starting pitching has produced the 28th-worst ERA among MLB clubs. Those starters have produced an aggregate FanGraphs WAR of 1.5. That includes Fried’s 1.8 WAR, which is sixth-best in the majors. This might be funny if it weren’t so sad: The organization that famously rebuilt around starting pitching has been reduced to giving regular turns to the likes of Tommy Milone and Robbie Erlin. Of the 11 men who’ve taken turns for the 2020 Braves, only three – Fried, and – have ERAs under 5.19 as a starter. Four of the 11 have ERAs in double figures.

It’s possible that almost none of the pitchers who’ll be starting games over the next week will be doing similar duty in the postseason. Fried is supposed to miss two turns. Cole Hamels is said to be close to being ready, although we’ve heard that before. Mike Foltynewicz and are again trying to right themselves. (Heard that before, too.)

In a normal season, a good team that suffered so many reversals over a 44-game span would have time to correct its course. These Braves have 20 days. If the playoffs were to start today, they would be the No. 3 seed, meaning they’d get the entirety of Round 1 at home, but they’d face the No. 6 seed, which would be be the Cardinals, against whom the Braves haven’t had a lick of postseason luck this century.

Then again, the MLB postseason invariably defies handicapping, and this will be a postseason like no other. More teams. More rounds. No fans. Could a two-man rotation of Fried and Hamels carry the Braves to the ? Maybe. If nothing else, Hamels should be well-rested.

Braves reinstate Ozzie Albies from injured list

By Gabriel Burns, The Atlanta Journal-Constitution

Utilityman Johan Camargo optioned to Gwinnett

Ozzie Albies' extended absence is over. The Braves reinstated their All-Star second baseman from the injured list Wednesday morning. Albies had been sidelined for more than a month with a bone bruise in his right wrist. He hasn’t played since Aug. 4, missing 30 games, and has appeared in only 11 of the Braves' 42 contests. Albies missed only six games across his first two full major-league seasons entering 2020.

“I played last night in Gwinnett, and everything feels 100 percent,” said Albies, who also participated in a live batting practice against left-hander Cole Hamels on Sunday. “Just being at home watching the games, it was tough. You want to be with your team and play. It was something I just had to live with and get myself better for the games I’m going to play in now.”

Albies was in Wednesday’s lineup, manning second and hitting eighth as the Braves tried to avoid being swept by the Marlins at home. The lineup was one of the Braves' most unique arrangements this season. Ronald Acuna, Freddie Freeman and Marcell Ozuna topped the order. Travis d’Arnaud, Dansby Swanson and Austin Riley comprised the middle. Albies was slotted between Adam Duvall and Ender Inciarte.

It was Albies' 31st game hitting eighth. He’s slashed .337/.426/.571 with seven homers, two doubles and 20 RBIs from that spot in his career (115 plate appearances).

“I’m excited to have him back,” manager Brian Snitker said. “Ozzie makes everybody feel better. It’s good to see the energy he plays with, the person he is. It’ll be good to see him back out there. ... I told him earlier, before the at-bats pile up, that I was going to hit him down lower and let him get going for a few days. Then we’ll see where he’s at. There are no limitations at all."

The 23-year-old hadn’t found his footing before the injury. Albies, who initially played through the wrist pain, has hit .159 with one homer and six RBIs in 44 at-bats this season. The Braves have 18 games remaining in the regular season.

“I’m really excited and happy to be back,” Albies said. “I want to help the team win any way I can. I want to bring all the positive energy, enjoy the games and get (wins). That’s all that matters.”

To open a roster spot, the Braves optioned utilityman Johan Camargo to the alternate training site in Gwinnett. Camargo, who played 21 games a second base in Albies' absence, has struggled for the second consecutive campaign. He’s hit .200/.244/.367 with four homers and nine RBIs in 35 games.

The Athletic

Further fallout looms after president announces retirement

By Evan Drellich

For as momentous as the pending retirement of Minor League Baseball president Pat O’Conner seems, the storm in MiLB’s confrontation with Major League Baseball is still gathering. The details of a new deal between the parties have yet to be finalized, and the fallout from its final form is likely to be litigious. Municipalities and teams alike could bring lawsuits against Major League Baseball, Minor League Baseball, or both, once the public learns which teams are to be removed from the traditional system.

“I think there’s going to be tremendous legal activity,” one minor league owner said Tuesday. “Everybody involved is aware that there is likely litigation in some form or fashion.”

O’Conner, president of the minor leagues since 2007, announced Tuesday that he would step down at the end of December. He’s spent 38 years in and 28 years with Minor League Baseball’s central office. Next year, that office — and by extension, O’Conner’s role — may cease to exist in its current form. While there could be a transitional period before the office is entirely eliminated, MLB is set on taking greater control of Minor League Baseball as part of contentious and ongoing negotiations.

“It is clear my vision for the organization, and the path to achieve that vision, is not adequately aligned with the Board of Trustees,” O’Conner wrote in his resignation letter Tuesday. “It’s been humbling and gratifying to see the gains we have made as an organization over the past three- plus decades.”

Between MLB’s actions and the infighting among minor league owners it prompted, O’Conner’s fate appeared sealed. Commissioner ’s office is poised to subsume the MiLB central office.

“More recently, it’s become clear that we think in an alternate structure where we had more control we could be more effective,” Manfred said last month, “and I think there’s large blocks of minor league owners who believe exactly the same thing.”

The current Professional Baseball Agreement is set to expire Sept. 30. The negotiation continues to focus on a reduction of 160 teams to 120, but MLB has not informed Minor League Baseball’s negotiating team of the most recent list of clubs it believes should be either eliminated or moved outside of the traditional affiliate relationship. What is being negotiated at the moment, in video calls held roughly once a week, is the economics of the agreement at 120 teams. Instead of affiliation, as was the case in the old system, every minor league team would have a license. The term of that license is being discussed, with MLB seeking 10 years, one of the many details ’s J.J. Cooper has previously reported.

“I think most people in Minor League Baseball, many in Major League Baseball, recognize that that’s a difficult number because a lot of the requests Major League Baseball is making of Minor League Baseball is in improvement in some of the ballparks,” one minor league owner said. “And in order to improve a ballpark with any type of public dollars in many instances that will be serviced by rent, you need a longer term than 10 years. We’re hoping that that can be agreed upon at 15 or 20 years, and effectively that would be an evergreen license.”

MLB has promised that by eliminating MiLB’s central office in St. Petersburg, Fla., as well as through other changes, such as increased marketing synergy, minor league owners whose teams remain would stand to save on expenses and, in effect, make more money. But the proposal is just conceptual at this point, without dollar specifics. Minor league owners want to know if there are minimum guarantees on the additional revenue, and whether there are maximum numbers on how MLB would apply the costs associated with running the minor leagues out of the MLB office.

O’Conner was no longer directly involved in the negotiations with MLB. He is well regarded as a steward in his 13 years as president of Minor League Baseball, as a strong administrator who cut his teeth in the minors and subsequently had intimate knowledge of what different leagues and teams required. But discontent grew among some owners in recent years as problems started to brew — including some that partially influenced the current strife.

Under the structure that is about to disappear, there were 160 minor league teams essentially guaranteed to receive a major league affiliate so long as they met basic standards — but those standards, such as locker room space and quality, are no longer sufficient for contemporary needs and will now be updated.

“Several major league teams effectively got screwed,” the minor league owner said. “There were areas where there was very little incentive for either minor league owners to improve their ballparks or to do anything to attract a major league team.

“Major League Baseball had a very sour taste in their mouth from maybe a half a dozen experiences over the last 10 years. I believe that a more proactive president of minor league baseball could have solved those issues.”

Minor league players would be impacted by the negotiations as well. Garrett Broshuis, an attorney and advocate for minor league players, pointed out that O’Conner and minor league owners supported the Save America’s Pastime Act, suppressing minor league player wages. The vast majority of minor leaguers are not members of the MLB Players Association, and there is no minor league union.

“Players around the country are making less per hour than the bat boy is making,” Broshuis said.

The lawsuits that follow the negotiations could be brought by the short-season leagues, which stand to be eliminated. (Some current short-season teams are expected to carry on in different capacity by switching leagues and levels, jumping up to say, Double A.) Different state attorneys general could file suit on the basis that MLB made a commitment to help a minor league team service debt, and now taxpayers are being stuck with the bill.

The public outcry from last December, after MLB signaled a change with the minor leagues and people such as Sens. Elizabeth Warren and Bernie Sanders spoke out, could rise again when MLB releases the list of teams it plans to eliminate.

The other stakeholders, of course, are the fans who will or might lose access to baseball. At the heart of the debate is whether minor league teams can survive as independent league teams, or collegiate teams, or whatever form they take, if they no longer have a traditional affiliation with an MLB team. MLB believes those teams can survive, while minor league owners are not as bullish.

The MiLB negotiating team has directly asked MLB about the impact on the sport’s marketing.

“They absolutely don’t care,” the minor league owner said. “Now, major league teams specifically care. But you’re talking, and you’re negotiating, with labor attorneys and economists. And they don’t give a shit about the marketing arm.”

A deal doesn’t have to be done by Sept. 30. If the PBA disappeared altogether, a wild-west environment could arise where teams are left to independently negotiate their deals amongst each other, but that’s an administrative headache that most major league teams likely want to avoid, creating a sliver of leverage for the minor league owners.

In the end, it looks like MLB will achieve most of what it wants to in these negotiations. The announcement of O’Conner’s exit was, in many ways, still just an early domino.

Rosenthal: Players who opted out find themselves in unfamiliar role of spectator

By Ken Rosenthal

Normally during a tight situation in the ninth inning, left-hander paces nervously in the dugout, bouncing a baseball. He goes through almost the same routine at home now in Scottsdale, Ariz., even though he opted out of the 2020 season, even though he has yet to throw a regular-season pitch for his new team, the Dodgers. Oh, Price refrains from bouncing baseballs now to spare his floors. But watching on TV, he experiences familiar emotions, growing dejected on the rare occasions the Dodgers are defeated and he sees his teammates filing out of the dugout in disappointment after the final out.

“When we lose a tough game, I do feel it,” Price said.

Nationals right-hander , another pitcher who opted out, can relate. On Aug. 17, Ross was eating dinner with his parents at their Bay Area home, watching a Nats-Braves game from Atlanta. He grew excited when hit an opposite-field homer off to give the Nats a 6-3 lead in the ninth. Smith stared at Soto, and even with no fans, Ross could sense the energy on the field. Then, in the bottom half, Ross visualized himself as Daniel Hudson, imagining what he would throw Dansby Swanson for the final out. When Swanson hit a two-run, walk-off homer, Ross had to excuse himself from the table. Even 2,500 miles away, he experienced the frustration of defeat.

Of the 22 major leaguers who opted out of the 2020 season for reasons related to the COVID-19 pandemic, only two — Atlanta right fielder Nick Markakis and Marlins second baseman — have chosen to return. The others are mostly like Price and Ross, watching from a distance, occasionally connecting with teammates, working out in preparation for 2021.

Four players spoke to The Athletic last week about opting out — Price, 33; Ross, 27; Ross’ older brother, free-agent right-hander Tyson Ross, 32; and Nationals first baseman , 35. All said they miss the competition and camaraderie with their teammates but are at peace with their decisions. A number of others who chose not to play declined requests for interviews.

Under an agreement reached by Major League Baseball and the Players Association, only players who were high-risk for the virus will receive full pay and service time for the 60-game season. None of the players who spoke to The Athletic said they were high-risk. But for many established players, money is less of a concern than it is for the average person.

Price sacrificed the largest amount of any player who opted out, the prorated $11.85 million portion of his $32 million salary, but has earned about $175 million in his career and still is owed $64 million combined in 2021 and ’22.

Zimmerman, who will lose $740,740, has career earnings of approximately $137.5 million. Tyson Ross, unpaid as a free agent, previously earned about $31 million. Joe Ross, who has made about $2 million, took perhaps the greatest proportional hit, forfeiting $555,555 and having his free agency delayed by one year, until the 2022-23 offseason.

For most, the biggest void is psychological, not financial.

“It’s been really weird to be home,” Zimmerman said. “Baseball has been basically a part of my life and the main part of my life since my mid- teenage years. You’re talking a good 20 years where during the summer all I’ve done is play baseball, the last 15 years in the big leagues. It has dominated my life and my family’s life from February until September some years, and late October other years.”

Price, who participated in in Arizona for the first time after getting traded from the Red Sox to the Dodgers then purchased Angels outfielder ’s home to establish permanent residence in the state, spoke of a particular oddity being on the outside looking in.

“I’ve never watched this much baseball in my life,” Price said. “And being out West, this is all different for me. I wake up, eat breakfast, 9:30 or 10 o’clock some days, there’s already baseball being played. I get to watch baseball all day long.

“That’s kind of what I’ve turned into, more of a fan this year.”

Zimmerman and his wife, Heather, live in the Washington, D.C., area with their three children — Mackenzie, 6; Hayden, 4; and Henry, who was born on May 31. Zimmerman’s parents are within driving distance, about 200 miles south in Virginia Beach, Va., and he takes comfort in their relative proximity. His mother, Cheryl, was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis in 1995.

Factor it all in, and for Zimmerman, the decision to opt out was clear-cut. He had a newborn son, a mother who is at increased risk for becoming severely ill or dying from the virus, and a desire for his children to continue spending time with their grandparents. He did not want to jeopardize his health and the health of those close to him.

“For me to have played, my kids wouldn’t have been able to see their grandma for a year-plus,” Zimmerman said. “She’s fine, nothing is imminent with my mom, but you just never know. An entire year of not being able to see her, her not being able to see her grandkids, is a real period of time. That was kind of a big driving factor.”

And timing was everything.

Each of the players who spoke to The Athletic announced their decisions to opt out between June 29 and July 4, at a time when Spring Training 2.0 was just starting and the league’s ability to complete a 60-game season in the middle of a pandemic was very much in question.

Price and Tyson Ross, too, were motivated by family concerns. Price and his wife, Tiffany, are the parents of Xavier, 3, and Zoe, 1, while Ross and his wife, Ashley, have a 16-month-old son, Jordan.

For Price, the issue was not simply safety, but potential separation. Shortly before Spring Training 2.0, Price drove from Arizona to Los Angeles, where he would undergo intake testing and join the club’s training camp at . His plan was to rent a hotel room in the L.A. Live complex for a month, then reassess. But just as he arrived, the number of coronavirus cases in California began spiking.

Price said he felt uneasy staying in a hotel and ordering food from Uber Eats or Postmates with room service unavailable. But his bigger fear was that the virus would continue to surge and he would be unable to leave the state and return home.

He stayed in L.A. only three days.

“I didn’t want it to get to that point, to where if I really wanted to see my family, I needed to see my family, I wouldn’t be allowed to,” Price said.

The Rosses, Tyson and Joe, framed their thoughts from a different perspective, drawing on expert advice. Their father, Willie, is a pediatrician. Their mother, Jean, is an emergency room nurse. And their sister, Francesca, is in residency at a hospital in Seattle, which was the first U.S. hot spot for the virus.

“We come from an educated medical family,” Tyson Ross said. “I was talking to my sister a lot early on. And we have a lot of family friends within the medical field we also leaned on. It wasn’t just my parents. It was the whole cast and crew of people we have access to, and trying to understand every aspect of this, just from the health and safety standpoint.

“We kept hearing the same message. It made it a lot easier on us to make that decision. When you look at it through the lens of a baseball player, you just want to get out there and play. But when you stop and take a listen to people actually in the medical field, the things they’re seeing and experiencing, you kind of understand it’s a little bit bigger than the flu or whatever.”

Tyson, who made only seven starts for the Tigers last season before getting shut down with ulnar neuritis in his right elbow, had signed a minor- league deal with the Giants on Jan. 14. He was excited to return to the Bay Area, where he had grown up, pitched for the University of California at Berkeley and began his major-league career with the A’s. He planned to live at home in Danville, Ca., and commute to San Francisco or even Sacramento if he had to pitch at A. But in the end he informed the Giants of his plans to opt out, then was released on June 26.

“Life is long, and with a toddler son and the uncertainties of a lifetime of potential health issues, I wasn’t willing to risk that for anything,” Tyson said.

Joe Ross, who is single, left Florida for Arizona shortly after baseball shut down on March 12, reuniting with two old roommates, the Giants’ Austin Slater and Reds’ Alex Blandino, working out, throwing, “trying to stay in the baseball mindset.” Eventually, he returned to the Bay Area and moved in with Tyson.

Joe declined to detail why he opted out, citing a “multitude” of factors. But he, too, spoke at length with family and friends, and his talks with Tyson were especially meaningful. “It was good for me to have someone else in my shoes literally who I could turn to and ask, ‘Am I crazy for considering this?'” Joe said.

His hesitancy was understandable. Joe Ross had no choice but to sit out when he underwent Tommy John surgery in July 2017 and missed 14 months. His decision not to play this season was his, and his alone.

“I feel the hardest thing in sports is injuries and the time where you literally can’t play,” he said. “This one was not quite that. I was choosing to hold myself back. To place myself on the sidelines was pretty hard.”

Major leaguers normally bond in clubhouses, in hotels on the road, on buses and planes. The sport’s health and safety protocols for 2020 restrict the nature of such interactions, but the players are not performing in isolation. They are still part of a team.

For those who opted out, the separation from their teammates is awkward, and not all are handling it the same way.

Price, who was beloved as a teammate with the Rays, Tigers, Blue Jays and Red Sox, said he is in frequent contact with Dodgers players and staff, and sometimes needs to remind himself to stop texting them because they are in the middle of games.

“I’m watching the games, first pitch to last,” Price said. “If I see anything, I try to let our people with the Dodgers know. I have no problem doing it. I enjoy doing it. Even if they don’t ask me to do it, I’m still going to do it. I guess for me it’s kind of a way to feel a part of the team.”

Price compares the time away to being on the injured list and rehabilitating apart from the team. Tyson Ross, as a free agent who is unaffiliated with any club, is one step removed from even that experience. He said that for the first time he finds himself rooting more for individuals than organizations.

Joe Ross and Zimmerman are in almost the opposite position, maintaining powerful bonds with their teammates as members of the defending World Series champion Nationals. Ross, however, said he keeps his communications to a relative minimum, contacting friends with the club only “here and there.” As a pitcher who has appeared in only 78 major-league games, he is attuned to the stress young players in particular experience and does not want to add to it. “I’ve had a few bad games where someone reached out,” Ross said, “and it seems like it makes it worse.” Zimmerman expressed similar sentiments about his teammates, saying he is in contact with them a decent amount, but adding, “I don’t want to bug ’em too much.” The source of his empathy is different from Ross’. Zimmerman grasps the difficulty of playing through a pandemic. He knows the players are observing rigid protocols. And the game, in his mind, is difficult enough.

“It’s a tough situation those guys are in right now, not being able to kind of do their normal routine, playing in front of no people,” Zimmerman said. “The travel is completely different, basically just going from the hotel to the field, the field to the hotel. It’s a tough grind.

“Baseball is a hard sport. You fail a lot. Sometimes you get into a two-week thing where baseball is not that fun. You usually have some elements where you go out to dinner, do some fun things with your teammates to forget about baseball for a little bit. Those really aren’t available this year. I can only imagine what a lot of those guys are going through.”

The pandemic, though, is not the only aspect of the 2020 season eliciting unique emotions. After George Floyd was killed in Minneapolis and Jacob Blake was left paralyzed in Kenosha, Wis., during altercations with police, many players began to open up about racial inequality, a topic that, within the sport, previously was all but taboo.

After the shooting of Blake, players throughout the league protested by electing not to play on Aug. 27 and 28, leading to the postponements of 10 games. Teams issued statements of support for the players, decrying social injustice and systemic racism.

Price’s club, the Dodgers, took one of the strongest stands, following the lead of right fielder . The Dodgers acquired Betts and Price, both of whom are Black, in the same trade from the Red Sox last February. When Betts made it clear to his teammates that he planned to sit out a game in San Francisco, they rallied behind him and joined him.

Price wishes he had been with the Dodgers that night.

“I definitely wanted to be there with the guys just to talk,” Price said. “We had Zoom calls prior to that, right after George Floyd (died on May 25). Guys opened up, talked about it.

“(First base coach) shared some of his background. I did as well. So did Travis (Smith), our strength coach. That was a tough time … definitely a time I really wanted to be around my teammates, just to talk to guys, to look guys in their faces when you’re having a conversation and not have to do it over the phone.”

Price and the Ross brothers, who also are Black, did not let the moment pass without adding their voices; nor did three other Black players who opted out, the Brewers’ , Cardinals’ Jordan Hicks and Mets’ . All six joined the Players Alliance, a group of more than 100 Black current and former players who united to create increased opportunities for the Black community in baseball and beyond.

The Rosses, through an introduction from the Pirates’ Chris Archer, also connected with the Players Coalition, an organization founded by NFL players Anquan Boldin and Malcolm Jenkins. Tyson is working with the Coalition to help pass the California Racial Justice Act, which would prohibit the state from seeking criminal convictions or sentences based on race, ethnicity or national origin. Tyson and Joe also were involved with the Coalition in a campaign to eliminate the in-house police force in Oakland schools, and are working to revitalize baseball in the city as well.

“Even though I can’t be with the guys, standing in solidarity and making a statement on the field, I’ve been able to find ways in which I can try and make an impact,” Tyson Ross said.

Markakis seemed to quickly regain his rhythm after he rejoined the Braves on Aug. 5, batting .368 with a 1.025 OPS in August before starting September 0-for-24. For pitchers who opted out, such a return would be less feasible, considering the time they would need to get their arms in shape. Price and the Ross brothers said they are staying active but not throwing, preferring to give their arms a break.

“To try and get back out there, the negatives would definitely outweigh the positives,” Price said. “I don’t want to make a couple of appearances and throw the ball just fine, then something happens and I have to shut down — I don’t want that to make me miss 2021. My focus right now is to be 100 percent ready to go in 2021 for the .”

To that end, Price bikes every morning, Monday through Friday, before his son awakens. He bought Upton’s home in part because it had a full gym, complete with a hoop and weight room. He continues to do his shoulder, elbow and forearm exercises, and because of his layoff, he plans to resume throwing earlier than normal, probably in October.

Tyson Ross, who has a gym in his garage, said he is working out the same way he does in the offseason, lifting three days a week and mixing in Pilates. Joe Ross, too, continues to train diligently, and he plans to start playing catch soon. “I’ve got to keep the body moving, not so much game- ready, just prepared so when that time to ramp it up comes, I’m not starting from scratch again,” he said.

Zimmerman, after a typical season, usually takes it easy in November and December, then resumes baseball activities in January and uses the six to eight weeks of spring training to prepare fully for . Like the pitchers, he plans to begin ramping up as early as October, knowing that after almost a year off, he will need to condition his body differently. He does not plan to retire, joking, “hopefully they’ll let me try and make the team.”

Zimmerman’s reference, of course, is to the Nationals, the only franchise he has known since becoming its first draft pick and the fourth overall selection in the 2005 draft. He said some clubs made him two-year offers in free agency last offseason, but he preferred to go year by year. Now friends are telling him the year off might enable him to play two or three more seasons, especially with the possibility of the league permanently adopting the universal DH. Zimmerman agrees his body might benefit from the time away from major-league competition, and the pitchers who opted out are operating under a similar belief.

“I know there are a lot of minor-league players in the area and all over the country that are in the same boat, not by opting out, but by not even having a chance to play anywhere,” Tyson Ross said. “There are going to be a lot of fresh arms coming out next year. Joe and I will be two of them.”

For now, though, all the players who opted out can do is stay in shape and wait for Opening Day 2021, which is nearly seven months away. In a normal year, players start becoming restless as spring training approaches, eager to reunite with their teammates and resume their baseball routines. Joe Ross, though, already is getting itchy.

“I’m kind of feeling that here at the beginning of September,” Joe said. “I can only imagine what it will be like when January and February kicks around. I’ll probably be sleeping in my spikes or something weird.”

He made the choice he thought was best. So did the others who opted out. But making a difficult decision is one thing. Living with it is another.

“Not that I took the game for granted or needed verification that I still love the game, but I miss the game a lot,” Zimmerman said. “I think I made the right choice for me and my family and my individual situation. I don’t regret what I did. But I do miss not playing.”

Price spoke for all of them.

“The 2021 baseball season is something I’m really looking forward to,” he said.

ESPN Braves' 29 runs against Marlins second most in MLB since 1900

The Atlanta Braves scored 29 runs against the on Wednesday night, falling one short of tying the major league record for most runs in a game.

Adam Duvall's seventh-inning grand slam gave host Atlanta a 29-9 lead, which ended up being the final score.

The 29 runs are tied for the second most in a game in the modern era (since 1900), just shy of the ' 30 against the in 2007. The 1950 Red Sox and 1955 White Sox also scored 29 runs in a game.

"Pretty amazing," said Freddie Freeman, who drove in six runs with three hits, including a two-run homer. "Hard to put into words, really, when you look up and see 29 runs on the board."

A day after being shut out by the Marlins on four hits, the Braves broke loose. They had 23 hits, including seven homers, to score the most runs in Braves franchise history (Boston, Milwaukee and Atlanta) since 1900. They topped the old record by six runs.

Atlanta trailed Miami 2-0 heading into the bottom half of the second inning, when the Braves sent 14 batters to the plate and exploded for 11 runs.

Duvall hit one of the team's three homers in the second, knocking Pablo Lopez out of the game. Duvall hit another homer, his 12th, in a six-run fifth and added the slam in the seventh off Josh Smith.

He finished 3-for-4 with three homers and a franchise-record-tying nine RBIs. He also became the first player in Braves history with multiple three- homer games in a season; his previous one came last week in Boston.

Brave New World

The Braves' 29 runs tied for the second most in a game in the modern era (since 1900). A look at the company they joined Wednesday night:

YEAR TEAM RUNS OPPONENT

2007 Rangers 30 Orioles

2020 Braves 29 Marlins

1955 White Sox 29 Athletics

1950 Red Sox 29 Browns YEAR TEAM RUNS OPPONENT

-- ESPN Stats & Information

"I've known that homers come in bunches, but something like that is pretty special," Duvall said. "I'm going to enjoy this one tonight."

Ozzie Albies, playing in his first game since Aug. 4 in his return from a wrist injury, had three hits, including a homer. Travis d'Arnaud and Ronald Acuna Jr. hit three-run homers.

Freeman's homer in the third was his 1,500th career hit. Dansby Swanson, who had three hits, Austin Riley and Duvall each scored five runs.

"I've never seen an offense click like that, all together," Freeman said.

Freeman said he woke up to a text from manager Brian Snitker saying he would be hitting second Wednesday night. D'Arnaud served as the Braves' new cleanup hitter.

Freeman now expects to be hitting second again.

"I would assume so," Freeman said. "I think it would be very hard for him to change the lineup after scoring 29 runs."

The Braves scored 18 of their 29 runs by home runs, tying the MLB record for most runs scored via homers in a game, according to ESPN Stats & Information.

Lopez (3-4) took the loss after allowing seven runs in 1⅔ innings.

"He just seemed to be out of sync early in that game with the walks and wasn't getting anything really over," Marlins manager said.

The biggest victim on the Marlins' pitching staff was reliever Jordan Yamamoto, who gave up 12 earned runs in 2⅔ innings. Yamamoto is just the second reliever over the past 70 years to allow 12 earned runs in an outing, joining Vin Mazzaro, who allowed 14 in a 2011 game.

The 20-run loss is the Marlins' largest margin of defeat in franchise history, according to ESPN Stats & Info.

The amazing numbers behind the Atlanta Braves' 29-run outburst

By David Schoenfield

The legendary baseball writer Roger Angell turns 100 next week. In his classic book "The Summer Game," he poetically describes his beloved sport: "Since baseball time is measured only in outs, all you have to do is succeed utterly; keep hitting, keep the rally alive, and you have defeated time. You remain forever young. Sitting in the stands, we sense this, if only dimly. The players below us -- Mays, DiMaggio, Ruth, Snodgrass -- swim and blur in memory, the ball floats over to Terry Turner, and the end of this game may never come."

The Atlanta Braves tried to defeat time on Wednesday and nearly succeeded, scoring 29 runs in their victory over the Miami Marlins. "My favorite urban flower, the baseball box score," Angell once wrote. Well, he will love this box score. The Braves shattered their modern franchise record (since 1900) for runs in a game and just missed the Texas Rangers' record of 30 runs, set in 2007 in a 30-3 victory over the Orioles. The difference in that game? The Rangers were the visiting team and got to bat nine times; indeed, they scored six runs in the ninth inning. The Braves, playing at home, batted only eight times. (In the theater of the absurd department, it's worth noting that the Rangers-Orioles game was the first game of a doubleheader.)

Ronald Acuna Jr. had a heckuva game, filling up his box score with crooked numbers: 4 4 3 3. He added three walks, so he reached base six times. He did not have the best game of the night.

Freddie Freeman homered, doubled and drove in six runs. He did not have the best game of the night.

Dansby Swanson and Austin Riley each scored five runs. That's pretty rare. Only Alex Dickerson has also done it this season, and George Springer was the only player to do it in 2019. Neither Swanson nor Riley had the best game of the night.

That honor belongs to Adam Duvall, who went 3-for-4 with two walks, three home runs, five runs and nine RBIs. He tied Tony Cloninger's franchise record for RBIs in a game; Cloninger, a pitcher, hit two grand slams in a game in 1966. Duvall hit three home runs in a game for the second time this season, becoming the first National League player with two three-homer games in a season since in 2006. Only has three three-homer games in a season.

That isn't even the most amazing Duvall three-homer fact. As MLB.com's Sarah Langs pointed out, Duvall is the first player in Braves history with two three-homer games in his career. Yep. had just one three-homer game for the Braves. Chipper Jones had just one. Dale Murphy, , Andruw Jones ... just one. Bob Horner had a four-homer game, but he never had a three-homer game. Growing up in New York, Angell watched Babe Ruth and Lou Gehrig swat home runs at the original . I don't know if he watched any of this game, but I can guarantee it was something he had never seen before: It was the first game in MLB history to end 29-9.

The Braves and Marlins combined to score the third-most runs in a game in the modern era. Yes, only in baseball is 1900 considered modern, but we use the 1900 cutoff for a reason. There were many crazy scores in early baseball, when errors were plentiful and the quality of play was obviously of a different standard than today. Indeed, the Boston Beaneaters, the forerunner to the current Braves franchise, scored 30 runs in a game in 1883 and scored 29 just 11 days later. If you care about 1883, this is technically tied for the second-highest scoring game for the Braves.

Still, 38 combined runs is pretty remarkable. Here are the other three games with at least that many combined runs:

June 9, 1901: Giants 25, Reds 13

Of course, the game was also much different in 1901. The Braves and Marlins combined for nine home runs Wednesday, but there wasn't a single homer in this game. There were, however, 49 hits, including 31 by the Giants. Kip Selbach went 6-for-7, and George Van Haltren and Charlie Hickman each had five hits and five runs. This was the final appearance for Hall of Fame pitcher Amos Rusie, known as the "Hoosier Thunderbolt" for his blazing fastball. He was a star for the Giants in the 1890s but hadn't pitched in the majors in three years when the Reds gave him a chance. He pitched five innings in relief and allowed 15 hits and 10 runs.

May 17, 1979: Phillies 23, Cubs 22

The Phillies scored seven runs in the top of the first. The Cubs responded with six of their own as starters Dennis Lamp of the Cubs and Randy Lerch of the Phillies each recorded just one out. Yes, the wind was blowing out that day at Wrigley, and the teams combined for 11 home runs. hit three long balls for the Cubs as part of a six-RBI day, and teammate Bill Buckner drove in seven, but won it for the Phillies in the 10th inning with a home run off Bruce Sutter.

Aug. 25, 1922: Cubs 26, Phillies 23

Yes, another Phillies-Cubs game at Wrigley Field (then known as Cubs Park). The Cubs scored 10 runs in the second and 14 runs in the fourth. The Phillies rallied late with 14 runs in the final two frames. Hack Miller homered twice and drove in six runs for the Cubs, and teammate Cliff Heathcote had five hits, two walks and five runs. One difference: This game took 3 hours, 1 minute to play; the Marlins and Braves required 4 hours, 14 minutes.

The Braves entered the day hitting .263/.337/.475 as a team while averaging 5.4 runs per game. Now the Braves are hitting .270/.345/.491 and averaging 5.9 runs per game.

The Braves hit 17 balls at 100-plus mph, which, believe it or not, is not a StatCast-era record. The Nationals had 20 100 mph balls in play in a 23-5 win over the Mets in 2017. The Braves' five hardest-hit balls Wednesday:

1. Acuna, fifth-inning home run off Alex Vesia: 111.5 mph

2. Duvall, seventh-inning grand slam off Josh Smith: 110.4 mph

3. Acuna, eighth-inning fly out off Ryne Stanek: 110.3 mph

4. Freeman, third-inning home run off Jordan Yamamoto: 108.5 mph

5. Freeman, sixth-inning groundout off Smith: 106.8 mph

Duvall's other two home runs were a 106.1 mph blast off Yamamoto and a 101.4 mph one off Yamamoto. Braves Twitter lit up in jubilation -- except for one user named Joe Morales, who posted a crying meme with the words, "Sat Adam Duvall in fantasy."

Yes, it was a bad day for Joe Morales. But it was a historic one for Adam Duvall and the Braves.

Marietta Daily Journal

Cobb Food Fleet has distributed 850,000 pounds of food since May

By Olivia Shapiro

Cobb County Food Fleet has distributed roughly 850,000 pounds of food to county residents since it began operations in late May.

It hasn’t been easy, requiring agility, flexibility and the help of hundreds of community-minded businesses and volunteers to navigate the hurdles of delivering up to this point more than 400 tons of food during the coronavirus pandemic. In April, videos of crops being tilled under and milk being poured down the drain were in the news. COVID-19 had disrupted the food supply chain. To keep food distributors and farms in business while still getting food to those in need, the USDA created the Farmers to Families program. Distributor Athena Farms had heard that Cobb Community Foundation worked with many of the Cobb non-profits, and with help from Noonday Association of Churches, Cobb Community Food Fleet was born. Among the Food Fleet’s objectives were to mastermind the logistics and find those with the knowledge and resources to receive, store and distribute groceries to those in need.

The first step was to find storage. To stockpile such a large amount of produce, the Cobb Community Food Fleet needed refrigerated space. Martin reached out to Daniella Bedasse, executive director of the Atlanta Braves Foundation, who was able to secure and volunteer empty refrigerators at Truist Park.

Athena Farms delivered its first shipment of salad boxes to Truist Park on May 26. Later, GA Foods and Phoenix Wholesale Foodservice (courtesy of Atlanta Community Food Bank) expanded the inventory with boxes of produce, dairy, and meat. With upwards of 4,500 boxes per week that required refrigerated storage and transport, the continuing challenge was to find space for such mass quantities of boxes and pallets.

Noonday Association of Churches agreed to lend a senior team member, Howard Koepka, to serve as the on-site coordinator for the CCFF. Foundation board member Kim Gresh reached out to Huddle House and one of its vendors, Ryder Trucks, who made available a 53-foot freezer trailer, also known as a “reefer.” Mobilized Fuels along with S.A White provided the fuel necessary to keep the trailers running.

Through the end of June, Athena Farms, GA Foods and Phoenix Wholesale, delivered thousands of food boxes to Truist Park. The Braves’ vendor, Delaware North, operated forklifts and pallet jacks. Cobb non-profits including Food Security for America, Storehouse Ministries, Reflections of Trinity, The Zone, Sweetwater Mission, and Family Life Restoration Center loaded up their trucks and delivered food to the organizations that did not have access to transport, including county agencies such as Cobb Senior Services. The Noonday church association coordinated logistics.

But with baseball starting, Major League Baseball had security concerns and CCFF had to find a new distribution center. Debbie Ginocchio, development director of Cobb non-profit Sweetwater Mission, came to the rescue. After calling Gordon Food Service, Richard Hale, director of transportation, offered the use of two 50-foot refrigerated trailers. Cobb Community Food Fleet Version 2.0 began with three trailers and a forklift on the July Fourth weekend.

The absence of a dock posed a challenge as it was taking quadruple the amount of time to move the food. CCF’s Cobb COVID-19 Community Relief Fund was able to help fund a temporary part-time contract position with Noonday to unload and load food from delivery to pick up, but that wasn’t enough. Foundation Director Martin ran into Mark Jacobson of Cumberland Diamond, who introduced her to Kevin McCorry, VP of Operations for Rugby ATL. McCorry’s players were looking for volunteer opportunities outside of training time. Even with forklifts and pallet jacks, the work was strenuous.

Soon, the search for a loading dock with protection from the elements was on. The next phone call went to Michelle Swann, and CEO of Cobb-Marietta Coliseum & Exhibit Hall Authority, who sent Assistant GM Lynn Flanders and Executive Chef Nick Walker to observe operations at Sweetwater Mission. That afternoon, Martin received news that Cobb Galleria Centre was willing to assist by hosting the Food Fleet’s distribution center beginning in late August.

With reefer trailers in high demand, though, Gordon Foods needed to reclaim their trailers in early September. The Braves came through with a $20,000 grant from their foundation, and the fleet was able to rent two Ryder “reefers,” delivered on September 4, to CCFF’s new home at the Cobb Galleria. S.A. White and Mobilized Fuels continue to provide the diesel to keep them running, guaranteeing that Food Fleet Version 3.0 will continue to deliver thousands of boxes of healthy foods each week.

Cobb families are able to find these providers on cobbconnection.org, clicking on the “Find Help” tab, then choosing the category “Food Boxes and Meals.”

CBS Sports

Braves score 29 runs in offensive explosion vs. Marlins, nearly tie modern MLB record for runs in a game

Here are five things to know about Atlanta's surge

By R.J. Anderson

The Atlanta Braves defeated the Miami Marlins by a 29-9 score on Wednesday night (box score), establishing a franchise record for runs scored while nearly matching the modern era high for single-game offensive output. That record was established by the 2007 Texas Rangers, who plated 30 runs as part of a blowout victory against the Baltimore Orioles.

An historic performance deserves some kind of breakdown, so let's highlight five aspects worth knowing from the Braves' offensive onslaught.

1. Duvall goes off Adam Duvall entered Wednesday night having a perfectly solid season. He was batting .256/.295/.554 (115 OPS+) with 10 home runs and 20 runs batted in over 129 trips to the plate. His numbers are going to look a whole lot better entering Thursday.

That's because Duvall had himself a night to remember on Wednesday. He went 3 for 4 with three home runs and nine runs batted in. He hit a two- run homer as part of an 11-run outburst in the second; a three-run homer in the fifth; and then a grand slam in the seventh that capped off the Braves' scoring for the night. Duvall tied pitcher Tony Cloninger for the franchise record in RBI. Clovinger hit a pair of grand slams in July 1966 to set the mark.

Duvall is now hitting .272/.319/.632 with 13 home runs and 29 RBI on the season. This was his second three-homer game in September, by the way. He'd previously launched a trio on September 2 against the .

2. Braves receive production from all over

It wasn't just Duvall doing the lifting for the Braves on Wednesday. Four of his teammates recorded three-plus hits, and three others had two hits. Everyone who played had at least one knock. Four Braves drove in four or more runs, and five total homered at least once.

Ronald Acuna Jr. reached base six times (three hits and three walks) and scored four runs on the night, while Dansby Swanson and Austin Riley joined Duvall in scoring five times apiece.

3. Atlanta's highest scoring game since 2001

As mentioned in the introduction, the Braves set a new franchise record for runs scored. The last time they so much as topped 20 runs in a game happened in October of 2001. Oddly, that also came against the Marlins. Before that, the Braves had scored more than 20 just once in the modern era, with that occurring in April 1999 against the .

While 20 had been the franchise's highmark for runs scored in its Atlanta history, the Milwaukee Braves plated 23 runs against the in 1957. Those Braves had some recognizable names in their lineup, including Eddie Matthews, Hank Aaron, and Wes Covington, who combined for 15 runs batted in.

4. Yamamoto has horrid night

The Marlins used five pitchers on Wednesday night. Only one of them, Ryne Stanek, escaped without allowing at least four runs. (Stanek pitched a shutout eighth inning.) The worst of those efforts belonged to Jordan Yamamoto, who entered in relief of Pablo Lopez in the second.

Yamamoto, however, provided no relief. Rather, he faced 22 batters and allowed a combined 13 hits-plus-walks. In total, Yamamoto was charged with 12 earned runs. He's the second reliever since 1944 to allow more than 13 runs in an appearance, joining Vin Mazzaro in 2011.

Yamamoto's ERA entering the evening was 11.42; departing the night, it was 18.26.

5. Milone makes dubious history

Braves starter Tommy Milone made his share of history on Wednesday night as well, albeit not the good kind. He became the first pitcher in the modern era to have his team score 10-plus runs in an inning without earning the win in separate starts. Milone's feat is made more impressive by the fact that Wednesday was just his third start since joining the Braves via trade.

WSB-TV

Braves quickly set franchise mark for most runs in game

By: By CHARLES ODUM

ATLANTA — (AP) — The Braves have set the franchise record for runs in a game, and they needed only six innings to set the mark.

Atlanta scored 11 runs in the second inning and kept adding to the total before taking a 25-8 lead over the Miami Marlins on Wednesday night.

That was the highest run total for the Braves in their all-time history in Boston, Milwaukee and Atlanta.

Content Continues Below

On Sept. 2, 1957, the Milwaukee Braves, the eventual World Series champions, beat the Chicago Cubs 23-10 to set the Braves' all-time record for runs in a game. The old Atlanta record was 20 runs, most recently against the Marlins on Oct. 5, 2001.

Freddie Freeman has driven in six runs with a homer, double and single and Adam Duvall has hit two homers and driven in five runs. Ozzie Albies, playing in his first game since Aug. 4 in his return from a wrist injury, has three hits, including a homer. Travis d'Arnaud and Ronald Acuña Jr. have hit three-run homers.

Augusta Chronicle

North Augusta woman honored by Atlanta Braves for disabilities work

By Miguel Legoas

Pam Stickler went into her virtual interview believing she was going to talk about her work with the disabled. Instead, she was surprised by an Atlanta Braves pitcher and a Fox Sports broadcaster telling her she had won the Atlanta Braves Foundation’s Community Heroes Award.

“I know what I’ve been doing,” she said. “I did not realize the magnitude to how it was affecting so many people even outside of those that participate in our programs. I just didn’t realize how many people on the outside were following what we were doing.”

The 67-year-old from North Augusta is among five honorees out of over 150 nominations for this honor, according to her daughter, Kim Smith, who nominated her. Stickler was chosen because of her years of assisting the Augusta area’s disabled children and adults with The RECing Crew.

She will be honored throughout the Braves’ game against the on Thursday. The game starts at 6:05 p.m.

Stickler founded the nonprofit organization in 2002 for her son, Stephen, who was diagnosed with cerebral palsy. She wanted to help him and others like him find recreational programs to keep them active and having fun.

However, Stickler did not specialize in this field; she studied medical technology in college. So when she started with a bowling program for disabled children, she soon began to learn the complexity and uniqueness of each disability and how it can affect a person.

“It has been a learning process for me along the line,” Stickler said. “When I started the bowling program, I thought I knew everything about somebody with a disability ... every single one of these kids has taught me something different.”

Since then, the organization has grown into several recreational programs catering to all ages and hosting games of baseball, dance, martial arts and more across Augusta, North Augusta and Aiken.

North Augusta City Councilwoman and RECing Crew coach Pat Carpenter praised her friend, saying she brought something to North Augusta that had not existed in the community.

“I always tell everybody ... even though I’m older than her, ‘When I grow up, I want to be like Pam Stickler,’” Carpenter said. “She’s one of the most humble people, but she gives everything she’s got 100% ... they could not have given it to a more well-deserved person.”

The honorees received a $5,000 donation to their organizations from the Atlanta Braves Foundation, a personalized Atlanta Braves jersey, a Papa John’s pizza dinner delivery for friends and family, and an at-home “watch party kit” for the night of their FOX Sports South/FOX Sports Southeast debut.

Stickler said the donation will most immediately go to continuing the programs the RECing Crew has developed. However, one of the bigger gifts is the love from family, friends and the community for her. Smith said she nominated Stickler because when she went to a Braves game for Father’s Day, and learned the baseball club honors community heroes in the Southeast, she said, “That’s my mom.”

“I don’t see myself as a hero ... I started this because I was looking for something for Stephen to do,” Stickler said. “What more is it when your immediate family appreciates what you’re doing and then can find an honor like this and present it?”