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Can Braves Make Exciting Comeback Turning Point to 2025 Season?
Atlanta Braves center fielder Michael Harris II Brett Davis-Imagn Images

The Atlanta Braves were on track for another lackluster defeat Friday night. They fell behind the Minnesota Twins in the series opener by four and tallied just one run through the first seven innings.

But then something happened -- the bats came alive.

Not with home runs but regular contact. The Braves could use more power, especially with runners on base. But the much bigger problem over the first three weeks of the 2025 regular season for the Braves offense was hitting with runners in scoring position.

Before Friday, the Braves were batting .184 with runners in scoring position this season.

In the eighth inning Friday, though, the Braves registered three hits with runners in scoring position in the span of four batters. The only hitter who didn't, catcher Sean Murphy, walked to continue the rally.

The key hits came from center fielder Michael Harris II, who drove in a pair of runs with a single to tie the game, and rookie Drake Baldwin, who gave the Braves the lead with a two RBI-single.

The Braves then shut down the Twins in the ninth to win 6-4.

Prior to his at-bat, Harris was 1-for-12 with runners in scoring position this season.

Baldwin had just two RBI on the season before his plate appearance, in which he was pinch hitting for shortstop Nick Allen. The rookie coming through in a key situation during a pinch hit appearance was nothing short of spectacular and will surely begin a debate about whether the Braves should keep the rookie in the MLB to strength their bench.

The more immediate question now is whether the Braves can make Friday's win an early turning point to this season.

Right now, it's only turned them into a 6-13 ballclub. It came against a team who now sits at 7-13, and the Braves are still in last place of the NL East.

The win also doesn't change the fact the Braves have yet to win back-to-back games this season.

But while it's only one game, nights like the one the Braves had Friday can often turn into something much bigger. It can be a huge lift, particularly mentally for a team that's struggling.

Winning blowouts as the Braves have done a couple times this year felt great. But they didn't ultimately change the mojo around the team.

Winning while coming through in clutch situations, though, something the whole team has struggled with this season, has to feel awfully good to the Braves hitters entering Saturday.

It's up to them now to turn Friday's comeback into the moment that things began to change for the 2025 Braves.


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

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