Michael Harris II responded strongly after Braves manager Brian Snitker urged his team to treat each game like a playoff match. Harris delivered a standout performance in a 5-1 victory over the Mets on Tuesday night at Truist Park. He nearly hit for the cycle, made a diving catch, and showcased his commitment to the Braves-Mets rivalry he grew up following in Atlanta.
“I did have some favorite players on the Mets,” Harris admitted. “But when the Braves played them, I didn’t really like them. Now that I’m in the big leagues, it’s fun to play against them.”
While Harris stole the spotlight, Spencer Schwellenbach had an impressive outing as well. The rookie pitcher limited the Mets to three hits and one run over seven innings, earning a standing ovation from the crowd.
“The juices were definitely flowing,” Schwellenbach said. “We’ve got five more games left. We need every single one of them. This is basically the playoffs starting now for us.”
With this win, the Braves moved within one game of the Mets and half a game behind the D-backs for the National League’s final two Wild Card spots. Winning this three-game series would give the Braves the tiebreaker over the Mets, as they already hold the tiebreaker against the D-backs.
“We’ve got to come out and do the same thing the next two days to control our destiny,” Harris said.
Harris contributed to a three-run third inning with an RBI double off Mets starter Luis Severino. He capped his performance with an opposite-field home run in the fourth, hitting a line drive at 111.5 mph that traveled an estimated 422 feet. This marked the hardest-hit and longest opposite-field home run of his career.
“He’s the best center fielder in baseball,” Schwellenbach praised. “The way he catches baseballs is unbelievable. He’s getting hot at the right time, and we needed that.”
Harris, who missed two months with a hamstring strain, has recently found his rhythm. Since September 10, he has hit .417 with a 1.288 OPS.
“I’m just going out there being myself and hoping the results come with it,” Harris said. “This past week, I’ve been getting the results and getting more confident.”
Schwellenbach also benefited from Harris’s defense, as he made a remarkable diving catch in the fifth inning to rob Luisangel Acuña of a hit. Statcast gave the catch a 30 percent probability.
“He reminded me of Andruw [Jones],” Snitker said, referencing the former Braves star known for his defensive skills.
Schwellenbach has impressed during his rookie season, particularly given his rapid rise from High-A Rome to the Majors. Despite not being in the running for Rookie of the Year—an award Harris won in 2022—Schwellenbach has shown great poise against tough competition.
He has excelled against other playoff contenders, including allowing only one earned run in 14 innings against the Mets.
“It’s baseball,” Schwellenbach said. “It’s a game I love. There’s nothing I love more than to pitch well against a good team.”
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