Franchise, NL records fall in Braves’ 29-9 win
ATLANTA — Manager Brian Snitker was just hoping to shake up the Atlanta Braves’ lineup following a shutout loss.
As it turned out, the new mix made National League history.
Adam Duvall drove in nine runs with three homers, including a grand slam, and the Braves obliterated their franchise scoring record and set the NL record in a 29-9 romp over the Miami Marlins last Wednesday, Sept. 9.
The Braves broke loose for 11 runs in the second and nearly matched the modern scoring mark since 1900, set by the Texas Rangers in a 30-3 rout of the Baltimore Orioles in 2007.
“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.”
The Braves had 23 hits, including seven homers, to score the most runs in their history in Boston, Milwaukee and Atlanta. They topped the old record by six runs. Duvall’s enormous night came exactly a week after he hit three home runs in a game at Boston.
“I’ve never seen an offense click like that, all together,” Freeman said.
A day after being shut out by the Marlins on four hits, the Braves erupted. Freeman said he woke up to a text from
Snitker saying he’d be hitting second. Travis d’Arnaud had a three-run homer in the second as the 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 big second inning knocked Pablo López 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.