Braves Beat Mets on Bizarre Walk-Off Hit by Freddie Freeman

In Friday’s Hot Clicks: a thrilling finish in Atlanta, Brook Lopez’s career night against Atlanta and more.

A baseball doink?

If I told you the Braves beat the Mets on Thursday night thanks to a walk-off hit by All-Star Freddie Freeman, you wouldn’t bat an eye. But a walk-off infield single from the less-than-speedy first baseman? That sounds pretty weird.

Well, the strangest part of the game was that Jacob deGrom gave up three earned runs. The Mets came back, though, and tied the game in the top of the ninth on a Dominic Smith home run. The Braves got a rally going in the bottom of the final frame when Guillermo Heredia was able to advance to second on a swinging bunt after a throwing error by Mets pitcher Seth Lugo.

Eventually, the bases were loaded with two outs and Freeman stepped to the plate. He swung at the first pitch he saw and hit a sharp ground right back to the mound. The ball caromed off of Lugo’s foot and luckily bounced toward third, where Luis Guillorme was able to charge it down and make a perfect off-balance throw to first. But Freeman just barely beat the throw and the run scored.

It was terrible luck for the Mets. If the ball hadn’t plunked Lugo, it would have gone straight to Francisco Lindor, who was shifted to play directly behind second base. And as impressive as Guillorme’s throw was, he passed up a much easier opportunity to make the out at third. Lugo was pleading with Guillorme to put the tag on Ronald Acuña Jr., who was running from second at less than full speed, or beat him to third for the force out.

Seth Lugo was not thrilled his teammate tried to throw out Freddie Freeman instead of trying to step on third 👀 pic.twitter.com/6zo5oTY1Ad

— Bally Sports South (@BallySportsSO) July 2, 2021

But it’s hard to blame Guillorme for not being aware of what was happening behind him while trying to make an unorthodox play.

“It’s tough,” Lugo told reporters. “I was trying to yell at [Guillorme], but it’s pretty loud out there. … It’s tough to make that reaction in real time. That is just the way it goes.”

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