Healthy Eddie can revive Braves, play hero again versus Diamondbacks

Left fielder Eddie Rosario might be the key to a victory over Arizona in the series

The Braves were at their lowest point last time Atlanta saw the Diamondbacks. Then, “West Coast Eddie” stepped to the plate in the midst of an 0-for-4 day in Arizona – with Atlanta one out away from losing its second straight series.

“Smith’s at the wall… grand slam!” Eddie Rosario slapped Eric Young’s hand and skipped over the first base bag, circling the diamond and putting the Braves up for good in an 8-5 win. That decided the series for Atlanta in the rubber match, and it went on to win the next 11 series after that, too.

Eddie has a chance to spark the Braves once again when the Diamondbacks come to Atlanta for a three-game series starting Tuesday, but they will need him to return to health after he exited Saturday’s game and sat out Sunday with hamstring tightness.

When Rosario hit the game-winning slam in Arizona, the Braves were coming off a series loss to the lowly A’s to end May – their last previous series loss before this past Sunday, when they lost the series to another faint American League squad, the 40-55 White Sox.

Backed by a 6-for-13 performance, three homers, seven RBI and a game-winning grand slam from Rosario in the rubber match, the series win versus the Diamondbacks sparked a team coming off an embarrassing loss to an MLB-best 23-4 month of June.

Now, Rosario has an opportunity to start a new streak and prove he’s not just a “Dodger killer.” He’s West Coast Eddie. This series might not be on the West Coast, but Rosario loves hitting versus NL West opponents. The 2021 NLCS MVP is 14-for-45 with eight homers and 20 RBI versus that division this season, and he helped start the Braves’ undefeated series run in June versus the Diamondbacks.

Facing the Snakes might be just what he needed to find his stroke again. Just like he rebounded from a .239 average at the end of May by hitting .325 in June, he’ll need to find himself in this series after batting .156 with only one homer in 32 at bats so far in July.

By getting himself out of a slump, he’ll be getting his team hot again after briefly being pacified to start the second half. Atlanta came storming out of the gates after the break, winning 9-0 in game one, but then the offense went quiet in game two after Lance Lynn exited and only scored one run on five hits in game three’s 8-1 defeat.

Losing the final two games of the series to the White Sox, the Braves’ series winning streak ended at 12, the 28-game homer streak is over and Atlanta needs a spark heading into a series with a club fighting for revival in the NL West – 2.5 games back of the Dodgers and now a half game behind the Giants – while going 2-8 in its last 10.

Rosario could just be that guy, and the Braves seem hopeful to have him back in the lineup after exiting the game Saturday with hamstring tightness. He didn’t play at all in Sunday’s disastrous finale, and he benefitted from an off day on Monday.

Also in Rosario’s favor, the Diamondbacks are set to start three right-handers: Zach Davies, Ryne Nelson and All-Star starting pitcher Zac Gallen. The latter two the Braves saw in the June series in Arizona, and Rosario went 2-for-3 with an RBI off Nelson but was held to 0-for-4 off Gallen before blasting a walk-off grand slam to end the series.

If not for Rosario’s heroics last month, it would be hard to say the Braves would be 61-31 heading into the home series with Arizona. Nonetheless, they boast a season-high 10-game lead in the NL East, and though not desperate for a series win this time around, that loss to Chicago sure was annoying. 

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