The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Successful trip out West helped Braves win NL East
Nothing defined season better than series in Arizona.
Editor’s note: The Braves captured the National League East with a remarkable season that was imagined by few. So many things went the Braves’ way that led to the first postseason trip since 2013. The Atlanta Journal-Constitution looks back at some of the many highlights of the wonderful journey that captured the imagination of the city in the final installment of a seven-part series.
Even Dansby Swanson had a hard time believing he retrieved the ball. But he didn’t hesitate, lasering it home for a win.
There were plentiful highlights on the Braves’ mid-September west coast trip, a week-long trek from which they accumulated a 6-1 record and a 7½-game lead in the National League East.
The Braves. Western trip. Six wins. One loss.
Sounds as far-fetched as a team with three consecutive 90-loss seasons flipping their record in a year, from 72-90 to 90-72. These Braves don’t care much for odds.
If you’ve followed this franchise for about any amount of time, you’re aware of its lackluster results in National League West cities. In 2018, the Braves hadn’t even fared well against those teams at home. They were swept by the Giants and Rockies, lost two of three to the Diamondbacks and lost three of four to the Dodgers at SunTrust Park.
When looking back upon the Braves’ revival, 2018 will be the point of remembrance. The trip to Phoenix and San Francisco, along with the Phillies’ collapse, made it so.
After blowing a 7-1 lead to the Red Sox, the Braves were swept at home before a long flight to the desert. There was plenty of time to self-evaluate and contemplate the upcoming stretch. As devastating a result as the Boston series was, manager Brian Snitker and his players didn’t sway from their daily focus mantra.
Still, the Braves were 9-18 against the NL West. Outsiders who saw disaster potential were justified. The Boston meltdown just made it more conceivable.
There was no downfall. That stretch did define the season, nothing more so than the four games against the Diamondbacks.
The Braves struck Zack Greinke quickly in game one, scoring twice after David Peralta’s error and going on to win a 7-6 extra-inning thriller. Arizona evened the series a night later behind Patrick Corbin.
What unfolded the next two days might’ve been the most relevant 48 hours of the season.
Extra innings were again a requirement in game three. Ender Inciarte tripled home the Braves’ fifth and ultimately game-winning run. Then the Braves appeared to have blown a two-run lead in the bottom of the 10th, until Swanson saved it.
A.J. Pollack singled, scoring Arizona’s fourth run. But Swanson prevented the ball from reaching the outfield. He leaped up and without hesitation fired the ball home, gunning down Nick Ahmed and ending the game.
It was a play Swanson practiced ad nauseum. He didn’t have time to process the situation. He naturally just bulleted the ball home. To call it a galvanizing win wouldn’t do it justice. In a year decorated with bashful victories, that one stood apart.
Inciarte wasn’t finished against his former club. In the finale, he put the Braves ahead with a three-run homer after they entered the ninth trailing 4-3. They scored six times in the frame, vaulting them into a comfortable division lead.
“It was really important for us,” Inciarte said. “The home run I hit in Arizona was really special for me. Not because I did it in Arizona, but it’s just because right there, it was a really key situation to help the team and I was able to step up. I’ve had a lot of ups and downs this season, and I think I’ve been able to make the adjustments to get better.”
“That was just such a fun series to be a part of,” said starter Kevin Gausman, who coined the series his favorite of the season. “To have so many guys contribute and have that ninth inning we had one of those games. Just the atmosphere in the dugout was really fun those days.”
The Braves went to San Francisco with leeway. The Phillies were an apparent abomination, falling 4.5 games behind and trending downward. Stealing the series in Phoenix, particularly the manner in which they achieved it, afforded the Braves a buffer were they to fumble two in California.
No buffer necessary. The Braves decimated the Giants, reminding that three titles in six years feels like ancient history. It illuminated the difference between a franchise built around youth and athleticism against a veteran-laden ensemble praying for one last run.
“It’s been a great road trip,” said utilityman Charlie Culberson, who played for three NL West teams prior to the Braves, before the final game at AT&T Park. “Had some tough games, pulled a couple out. Especially after that tough series loss against the Red Sox. But we had a long flight to think about it, regroup and guys have come out and done their job.”
Do your job, a quip most associated with Bill Belichick’s Patriots, could easily be attributed to Snitker’s club. The Braves have the studs, the scrappy, the hard-working, the developing, the guys who fill in the gaps. They’re more complete than anyone would’ve bought in March.
The bullpen has weaknesses; so does everyone else’s. They could use another Culberson-like bench contributor, another couple arms. Swanson’s health remains a question mark. They’re still a team no one wants to play in a deep NL postseason field.
It’s only fitting when the Braves open the National League Division Series on Thursday, it will be in a western city. They’ll need to match, or rather exceed, their past western performance to continue cherry topping their dream season.