ATLANTA — What was announced as a record-setting crowd at Truist Park was ready to erupt in the bottom of the eighth inning after a nervous energy was exuded from Braves fans for much of the night.
But with one play, Philadelphia Phillies shortstop Trea Turner made the crowd of 43,689 Braves fans accept what was happening — for the second year in a row, their NL East little brothers had come into enemy territory and stolen Game 1 of the NLDS.
It was not a banner year for Turner defensively, even after the early-August standing ovation that turned his season around at the plate. Turner finished the season with -10 defensive runs saved, -4 outs above average and 23 errors, leaving questions about how long he’ll be able to remain at shortstop.
However, with runners on the corners and one out in the eighth inning, Albies hit a ball off of Phillies reliever Matt Strahm that seemed destined to find the outfield and get the Braves on the board. Instead, Turner got to the ball, made a long flip to second base and Bryson Stott fired the ball to first base to double up Albies, who graded out as one of the 25 best baserunners in baseball this season.
It was the type of play that gets played at the end of a player’s career, when you remember their finest moments.
“Keep it simple — just catch the ball and get it to Stott as fast as possible,” Turner said when recalling the play postgame. “I just wanted to get an out, then realized Stott is really good over there and just the way Albies got out of the box we had a chance. It was a big play.”
Stott’s turn at second base shouldn’t be slept on in this play, but for Turner to make a back-handed flip with enough on it to secure an out at second and give him a chance to fire to first base and double up Albies was pretty amazing.
“We’ve been talking about that play the last couple weeks. Not necessarily the dive, but being far away from the bag and when to flip, when to throw,” Turner said. “So we’ve been talking about it, but that one was always going to be a flip.”
After the game, Turner’s defensive play was the talk of the clubhouse, eliciting some fan-like reactions from his teammates.
Stott: “Woah. I was kind of like ‘Woah’ and I was in the play. No, that was really cool.”
Strahm: “I joked with these guys, I said ‘What happened?’ I remember seeing the out [at second base] and next thing I know I was in the dugout. I kinda just blacked out. That was an unbelievable play. I feel like I watched the flip to Stott in slow motion and then it was just rifle over to first. I mean, as soon as Stott caught it, I just turned. I didn’t watch the throw, I was like ‘Where’s Ozzie?’ Got him. So, it was sick.”
J.T. Realmuto: “That was incredible. I screamed, I know that. I don’t know what I did physically, but I definitely screamed when it happened. And I don’t usually do that on the field, so it’s pretty exciting.”
José Alvarado: “So beautiful … awesome … that’s a great play … unbelievable.”
Seranthony Domínguez: “Oh, that was incredible. I think it’s the best play that I’ve ever seen. Like with the game in a moment like that, it was incredible.”
Nick Castellanos: “I was juiced … excited … that’s a turning point play in the game.”
Edmundo Sosa via Phillies Spanish interpreter Diego Ettedgui: “Everything about that play was incredible. Even like the angle, for him to field the ball, and then when he was on the ground to just toss the ball to the second baseman, everything about it was incredible. Me, watching the play develop from the dugout, I got super excited. I was euphoric. I was like ‘Oh my god, this is a perfect play. He made the perfect play.’ And it’s not easy obviously, considering all the factors involved in the play. It was a really, really difficult play to make, and he did it perfectly.”
Zack Wheeler: “Amazing, and timely. … Me as a pitcher, I’m sitting there in the dugout just thinking about if we do get a ground ball we gotta turn it pretty quickly. So yeah, he made the play, got up, threw to Stotter and Stotter made a strong throw to first.”
Aaron Nola: “I don’t think they double him up if Albies hits it any slower, because he’s super fast, obviously. From our dugout’s angle, it kind of looked like it was going through the hole, and then Trea made a good play.”
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