On a day filled with controversy and drama for the Atlanta Braves, it was a little-known reserve outfielder who became the hero and saved the day for the NL East leaders.
Rafael Ortega, a 28-year-old bench outfielder with only 114 career games in the big leagues, slammed a game-winning grand slam off of Los Angeles Dodgers reliever Dustin May to propel Atlanta to a series win in what could be an NLCS preview.
After dropping the series opener on Friday night, the Braves rallied to win Saturday and Sunday’s games to make a statement against the top team in the National League, giving the team a boost of confidence as it moves into the final stretch of the season.
Sunday’s win wasn’t without controversy, however. Ortega, the eventual hero of the game, replaced star outfielder Ronald Acuña Jr. in center field in the fifth inning after the latter was pulled after failing to hustle on a long drive hit off of the wall in right field.
The Braves, despite the controversy, went home happy after improving their record to 74-52 and maintaining a 5.5 game lead over the Washington Nationals in the NL East.
They’ll be back in action on Tuesday in Miami against the Marlins.
