Freddie Freeman’s late homer sends Braves to second consecutive NLCS

“You can’t make that up,” manager Brian Snitker said. “That was the perfect ending. ... You couldn’t script this any better, having Freddie Freeman hit the go-ahead homer off probably the best closer in the game. That’s Freddie.”

Resiliency is these Braves’ modus operandi. They were eight games back in June. They didn’t cross the .500 mark until early August. They were crossed off by the masses multiple times due to injuries, including losing their best player, Ronald Acuna, to an ACL tear. They lost Game 1 to the Brewers.

And now, through it all, they’re four wins from a World Series berth. They’ll be one of the final four teams standing.

Game 4 was another showcase for their battle-back mentality. They fell behind two runs and immediately answered with two runs in the fourth and fifth innings. Known for slugging their way past the opposition in the second half, the Braves had to defeat the Brewers in a low-scoring, high-stress series with their pitching and clutch hitting.

The Braves scored all five runs with two outs Tuesday. They were 2-for-13 with runners in scoring position overall, yet it was enough because Freeman’s two-out shot sealed it.

The game’s madness started in the fourth inning, when the Brewers took their first lead since Game 1, thanks to finally converting with runners in scoring position.

Entering Game 4, the Braves and Brewers were a combined 2-for-33 with runners in scoring position (the Braves had both hits). Milwaukee reached 0-for-20 in such situations before Omar Narvaez’s one-out single scored a run.

It ended Braves pitching’s 22-inning scoreless streak. It also ended Charlie Morton’s outing. Morton went 3-1/3 innings in his second postseason start on short rest.

Enter Jesse Chavez, who surrendered an RBI single to Lorenzo Cain before eventually stranding the bases loaded with a strikeout of Willy Adames. During the inning, the Brewers had lefty starter Erik Lauer bunt rather than replace him with a pinch-hitter.

The Brewers scored as many runs in the fourth (two) as they did across the previous three contests. They were dreadful at the plate, striking out 33 times and leaving 41 on base over those games. Their fortune finally flipped the other way.

But the lead didn’t last long. Third baseman Austin Riley singled to start he fourth, setting up the wildest sequence of the contest. Outfielder Adam Duvall popped out in foul ground, with infielder Luis Urias catching the ball at the ground after it ricocheted off Narvaez’s glove.

The ball appeared to hit the ground as Urias was making the catch. The umpires went to a rule check and discovered under MLB rules, only catch plays in the outfield are reviewable. Duvall was ruled out and Truist Park – full of fans fed up with their team drawing the short stick in replay scenarios – erupted with thunderous boos.

After outfielder Joc Pederson’s popup, catcher Travis d’Arnaud walked and outfielder Guillermo Heredia was hit by a pitch, loading the bases. Manager Brian Snitker turned to Eddie Rosario as a pinch-hitter, and Rosario rewarded him with a two-run single up the middle to reset the game. Urias then made a stellar play at third to rob Swanson of a go-ahead hit and end the inning.

Milwaukee regained its two-run advantage three hitters later. Outfielder Christian Yelich hit a hard single that bounced off first baseman Freeman’s glove. An out later, slugger Rowdy Tellez – the man responsible for the game-winning homer in Game 1 – deposited a hanging slider from Huascar Ynoa into center field.

The Braves battled back, as they have throughout the season. Second baseman Ozzie Albies produced a one-out infield single. Riley followed with a four-pitch walk. Duvall was hit by a pitch to load the bases. The Braves were back in business against the hard-throwing Aaron Ashby.

Pederson, the star of the series, hit a chopper that resulted in a fielder’s choice and scored a run. Pederson beat the throw at first to avoid the double play. D’Arnaud tied the score by hitting a ball just past Tellez at first.

The Braves had consecutive two-out hits against Ashby in the sixth. Stuck in a dangerous spot with runners at the corners, Milwaukee turned to starter Brandon Woodruff, who retired Riley on one pitch.

Milwaukee lifted Woodruff for Hader in the eighth, intending for him to log the final two innings. That plan - and the Brewers’ season - was ruined when Freeman punished a hanging slider into left center. It was Freeman’s fifth career postseason home run.

“It was cool,” d’Arnaud said. “I don’t think I’ve ever seen him emotional that before. But who wouldn’t be that emotional sending us to the NLCS? That’s so cool. I’m so happy for him to come up in that big moment for us when we needed him the most. He’s been there for us all year. What’s he played, like, 160 games, something like that? For him to get that emotional, it fired us all up, honestly.”

“Fredd-ie” chants serenaded Truist Park after Freeman’s homer, leading to his enthusiastic curtain call. Freeman and MVP chants continued following the final out.

“A lot better clinching to go to the NLCS in front of home fans instead of last year with no fans,” Freeman said. “This was well worth it. They came out and supported us at 1:00 on a Monday yesterday and they came out in full force tonight. Just unbelievable atmosphere. They scored two runs. We came back with two. They scored another two. We came back. Kind of of a testament of our team the last three, four years. Just a pretty amazing ball game.”

Closer Will Smith finished the game for his third consecutive save in the series. The Braves outscored the Brewers 12-5 overall, though the series was closer than the cumulative score indicates. Game 4 was an appropriate finale.

“I don’t know that I’ve ever been involved in a game like that,” Snitker said. “The intensity, the way it went on, the back and forth. My God. It was something else.”

Snitker gave credit to the fans who packed Truist Park over the last two days. Both crowds exceeded 40,000 and provided the loudest environment the ballpark has featured since opening in 2017.

“I was sitting there in the ninth inning trying to think if I remembered what it was like last year in Houston (when the Braves swept the NLDS at a neutral site), I couldn’t remember,” Snitker said. “I’ll never forget this. The fans were amazing today. I always praise them but Braves country came out strong. Those guys appreciate it, feed on it. That was huge, a big part of what kept them going in this game. We really appreciate the support. It was loud. It was really cool. There were a couple times I sit back and take it in.”

The Braves avoided a winner-take-all Game 5 in Milwaukee. They instead tuned into Dodgers-Giants later Tuesday to see who their opponent will be in the next round. If the Giants win, the Braves will travel to San Francisco for Game 1 om Saturday. If the Dodgers advance, the Braves would host Game 1 on Saturday because the Dodgers, despite 106 wins, are a wild-card team. This will be the Braves’ 13th NLCS in franchise history.

Left-hander Max Fried is set to start Game 1 of the NLCS. He pitched once in the NLDS, logging six scoreless innings. The Giants could advance with a win over the Dodgers late Tuesday night. Otherwise, the teams will play a winner-take-all Thursday in San Francisco.

The Braves will be underdogs against either team. Most will understandably bet on the Giants or Dodgers, two 100-win behemoths. But these Braves are used to overcoming the odds. If they do it again, they’ll be in their first World Series this millennium.