Atlanta Braves manager Brian Snitker Brett Davis-Imagn Images

Braves' Brian Snitker Sounds Off on Eli White's Potential Game-Costing Mistake

Originally posted on Atlanta Braves on SI
By Dave Holcomb | Last updated May 24, 2025 8:00 AM ET

It can't happen. But Friday night for the Atlanta Braves, it did.

Pinch runner Eli White represented the tying run for the Braves at second base with one out in the ninth inning versus the San Diego Padres. Atlanta didn't have the ideal hitter at the plate in struggling second baseman Ozzie Albies.

But Albies came through with a single to the outfield. Before getting to third base, though, White inexplicably turned around to go back to second.

The Padres threw him out at second base for the second out of the inning. Center fielder Michael Harris II grounded out in the next at-bat to end a 2-1 loss.

Braves manager Brian Snitker stopped short of throwing White completely under the bus. But Smitker was critical of the mistake the pinch runner made.

"Snitker said he hadn't talked to Eli White about his base running blunder, but said they can't afford to make mistakes like that on the bases in games like this," tweeted The Athletic's David O'Brien.

Snitker said he hadn’t talked to Eli White about his base running blunder, but said they can’t afford to make mistakes like that on the bases in games like this.
Said it was a tough one to lose because of how great Acuña played on both sides of ball and Sale’s game. As for Iggy…
— David O'Brien (@DOBrienATL) May 24, 2025

White told reporters, via 680 The Fan, after the game that he "got confused" while running to third. He initially got an early read that the ball was going to drop in front of the Padres outfielder, but when third base coach Matt Tuiasosopo put his hands up in the air for him to stop, White interpreted that as the ball was caught.

That sent White scurrying back to second.

Eli White thought Jackson Merrill caught the ball and then gets thrown out at 2nd base! pic.twitter.com/O8j0ZqS2nx
— Baseball’s Office (@baseballsoffice) May 24, 2025

Given, though, that the Braves home crowd was roaring from Albies' base hit, it's hard to understand why White suddenly thought the line drive was caught.

Snitker also added another underrated point at the end of one of his answers.

"If you run on that one, and it's caught, you're not going to get back even if he caught it," he said.

The Braves weren't guaranteed to win without White's blunder. Again, he was the tying run. But the base running error changed the entire ninth inning and deflated the crowd.

It led to yet another painful Braves loss this season.

This article first appeared on Atlanta Braves on SI and was syndicated with permission.

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