Braves’ edge enhanced by soggy conditions

ATLANTA — The Atlanta Braves’ are gaining an unusual home-field advantage this weekend in the form of intermittent rain showers.

Truist Park’s field remained soggy ahead of Saturday’s Game 4 of the World Series following periods of light rain. The rain hasn’t been strong enough to prompt any delays, but batting practice was wiped out for the second straight day. The infield tarp kept the dirt in fine shape, but the outfield was again soaked Saturday, presenting potentially tricky plays for outfielders once again.

The conditions didn’t appear to cause any significant issues for outfielders in Atlanta’s 2-0 Game 3 win Friday night, although both sides thought the Braves might have an edge knowing how the turf plays when wet.

“We’ve played enough rain games here to kind of know what little adjustments we need to make,” Atlanta center fielder Adam Duvall said. “... I’ll play different hitters in different spots, but you’ve got to be careful being super aggressive on maybe a line drive that’s going to one-hop to you because it is probably going to skip off. So you’ve got to be careful with that.”

Happy returns: Looking back at the start of 2021, Duvall says he “never thought in a million years” he would be back with Atlanta this season and playing in the World Series.

Duvall, the NL RBI leader this year, was a key cog in the Braves’ run to the NL Championship Series last season but was allowed to leave for Miami as a free agent. He returned to Atlanta on July 30 in a trade for backup catcher Alex Jackson.

“I was sitting on the couch, 12:30 on the trade deadline and got the call,” he said. “Next thing you know, I was back here. You just never know.”