Atlanta Braves down 5 runs, rally late to win on a walk-off homer by Nick Markakis

Braves do the impossible once again on Opening Day

From 2009 to 2013, the Atlanta Braves won five straight Opening Day games.  Since then, they have flip-flopped on winning and losing — lost, won, lost won — until today!  The Braves are on a winning streak once again on Opening Day as they took the victory against the Philadelphia Phillies 8-5.

All-time, the Braves organization is now 80-62-1 on Opening Day games.  How they got to that 80th win wasn’t easy though.

The Braves sent Julio Teheran to the mound for the fifth consecutive year on Opening Day.  Teheran pitched well, but couldn’t get through the 6th inning.  He lasted just 5.2 innings, gave up four hits, four runs, three walks and had three strikeouts.

Teheran was cruising on Thursday — after he gave up one run in the first inning — as he gave up only one hit and two walks in the next four frames.  In the 6th inning, he gave up a leadoff homer to Cesar Hernandez.  Two batters and outs later, he hit Rhys Hoskins with a 3-2 pitch and walked Aaron Altherr.

That was the end of Teheran’s night.  Manager Brian Snitker gave the ball up to left-handed pitcher Rex Brothers.  Oh, great here we go, right?  Yup.  Brothers walks J.P. Crawford and then walks Maikel Franco.  The worst part about this was Snitker leaving Brothers in to face the right-handed hitter Franco.

Snitker shouldn’t have put Brothers into the game.  Sam Freeman, A.J. Minter, Jose Ramirez…anyone else should have came into the game here.  Teheran was charged with four runs instead of probably just the two he deserved.

So leaving the top of the 6th inning, the Phillies were up 5-0 and it was looking ugly for the Braves.

Bottom of the 6th

Ender Inciarte led off the bottom of the inning with a double over the head of the center fielder.  After Ozzie Albies fly-out, Freddie Freeman blasted his first home run of the season to the right field seats!

“When Freddie hit that homer,” Preston Tucker told the media after the game.  “Everyone kind of fed off that and good things just happened after that.”

Bottom of the 8th inning

Batting right-handed, Ozzie Albies crushed a ball that just shouldn’t have gone out.  On an outside pitch that looked like Albies just flicked the bat at, the 21-year-old makes it a 5-3 game.

“No I didn’t. I didn’t know it was gone,” Albies said after the game. “I just hustled and when it was gone, it was great.”

This was Albies first home run of the season and seventh career homer.  He went 1-5 on the game, but he’s going to be special.

The Braves scored two more runs in the bottom of the 8th inning.  One on a passed ball, throwing error, which scored Freeman and the other off the bat of Preston Tucker’s single.  Tucker’s line drive to center tied the game at 5-5.

Bottom of the 9th inning

After Arodys Vizcaino shut the Phillies down in the top of the inning, the Braves were in great position to walk it off.

Charlie Culberson started the inning off with a little dribbler down the third base line.  Then, Inciarte bunted him to second base.  After Albies flew out, Freeman was intentionally walked.  Next up…veteran outfielder Nick Markakis!

Everyone was bashing on Markakis and Snitker throughout the game.  Snitker because he batted him 4th in the Braves lineup and Markakis because he was  0-4 at the plate.

On a 1-1 pitch, Markakis blasted a splitter that hung over the plate over the right field wall.

“Nick had a really good spring and worked his tail off,” Snitker said following the game. “Every night he’s going to show up and give you everything he has.”

The Braves took home the victory 8-5 and are now one step closer to going 162-0 for the season…just kidding, but starting off 1-0 is a lot better than 0-1!!

“That was pretty sweet, a complete team effort,'” Freeman told the media. “Everyone participated. It was fun to be a part of.”

Braves and Phillies are back at it tomorrow as Mike Foltynewicz takes on Nick Pivetta.  First pitch is scheduled for 7:35pm ET at SunTrust Park.

Next: Braves Tyler Flowers exits Opening Day game

“Like last year, we we’re never out of the game and fought until the end and that’s what we did tonight,” Freddie Freeman continued with.  “Nothing is sweeter than that.”