April 20, 2024
ATLANTA (AP) — Vaughn Grissom didn't have the chance to open the season in Atlanta as he hoped.
Now that he's back in the majors, the shortstop is proving he can fit in the Braves' productive lineup.
Grissom had two hits, including a single to drive in the go-ahead run in Atlanta's four-run eighth inning, and the Braves rallied to overcome a strong start by Miami's Sandy Alcantara and beat the Marlins 6-4 on Wednesday night.
Dylan Floro (1-1) blew a 4-2 lead in the eighth, which began with Matt Olson’s seventh homer. Grissom's single to right field drove in Eddie Rosario, who tripled, for a 5-4 lead. Marcell Ozuna's grounder was fielded by Floro in front of the mound, but Floro's wild throw past catcher Jacob Stallings for an error allowed Ozzie Albies to score.
“You see it all forming in front of you and you see it all about to happen,” said Grissom of his key at-bat. “I just had to have a good plan and try to execute and put the barrel on it. That’s all you can do these days.”
Grissom’s single rolled past second baseman Luis Arraez, who was playing toward the bag.
“Put the ball in play, good things can happen, that’s for sure,” Braves manager Brian Snitker said.
Grissom began the season at Triple-A Gwinnett to work on his defense but was recalled on April 14 when Orlando Arcia was placed on the injured list with a fractured left wrist. He's hitting .293 to support expectations that his bat was ready for the majors. He hit .291 in 2022, when most of his playing time came in a fill-in role at second base.
“Now I feel like I belong,” Grissom said. “I was just kind of surviving last year. This year I feel I can do some damage and be part of it.”
Alcantara was sharp in his return after missing one start with right biceps tendinitis, allowing two runs on four hits in 5 2/3 innings. Alcantara, the 2022 NL Cy Young Award winner, faded in the sixth, when he allowed both runs.
Miami's Jesús Sánchez blasted a 437-foot homer off Bryce Elder over the second-deck restaurant in right field in the second inning. Jazz Chisholm Jr. added a 428-foot homer to the second level of seats in left field in the third, and Avisaíl García homered to open the fourth.
Ronald Acuña Jr. led off the sixth with a line-drive homer to left-center for Atlanta's first run off Alcantara, who couldn't make it through the inning.
Rosario said the homer “gave us new life, new momentum.”
Austin Riley doubled before Alcantara walked Rosario and Albies to load the bases. Grissom's single to left field off Huascar Brazoban drove in Riley, but García threw out Rosario, who was trying to score from second, at the plate.
Michael Tonkin (2-1) threw 2 2/3 scoreless innings in relief of Elder. A.J. Minter pitched the ninth for his fifth save in eight chances.
