The Atlanta Braves pulled off one of their most exciting wins of the season Tuesday night, rallying to defeat the Mets in dramatic fashion. Ronald Acuña Jr. was a catalyst once again from the leadoff spot, rookie Spencer Schwellenbach bounced back after a shaky start, and Marcell Ozuna delivered clutch hits. But a surprising lineup move by manager Brian Snitker also proved to be a key factor.
Facing Mets lefty David Peterson, it was expected that the lineup would look a bit unconventional. Drake Baldwin usually sits against left-handers, and Michael Harris II has struggled too much to justify starting him against same-handed pitching. Still, it raised some eyebrows to see Eli White batting second in the order.
White, a right-handed hitter, theoretically matches up better against lefties but his .669 OPS and low 4.3% walk rate hardly made him an ideal choice for the No. 2 spot, especially with stronger right-handed bats like Austin Riley, Marcell Ozuna, and Sean Murphy available.
Odd as the move was, it ended up working.
White contributed with a single in the third inning that moved Acuña Jr. into scoring position, allowing Matt Olson to drive in Atlanta’s first run. Later, in the eighth, Snitker pinch-hit Alex Verdugo for White, and Verdugo singled to load the bases. Two batters later, Ozuna came through with a game-changing bases-clearing hit that completed the Braves’ comeback.
Snitker is clearly experimenting with lineups to spark an inconsistent offense, especially with Jurickson Profar still serving his suspension. While not every decision will make sense on paper, sometimes a little luck and a bold move can go a long way. Tuesday night was one of those times.
