3 takeaways: First-place Atlanta Braves walk it off vs Pirates, keep streaking

It was an unseasonably cooler (and wetter) June night at SunTrust Park on Wednesday, but the Atlanta Braves are about as hot as a firecracker on the Fourth of July as they keep finding ways to win, extending their current victory streak to six games after besting the Pirates 8-7 in an 11-inning affair.

It didn’t always look promising for the Atlanta Braves on Wednesday evening/early Thursday morning.

Atlanta starter Mike Soroka was very un-Mike-like for the first time this season, as the Bucs jumped on him early and often.

A four-run Braves lead was interrupted by a steady Pirates comeback, a lengthy rain delay and a blown save in the 9th.

But, oh, how sweet it was at the end.

Austin Riley’s hit quite a few impressive home runs in his very short MLB career, but his 9th inning, game-tying shot against Kyle Crick was probably the most significant to date: not just on a personal record-setting level, but for what it signifies for this Braves team.

Division rival Philadelphia, who came into Wednesday in a tie for first with Atlanta, lost their game, meaning the Braves’ topsy-turvy victory surges them into first place all by themselves in the National League East.

It was a night of many heroes who don the tomahawk across their chest; Ozzie Albies in particular, whose 11th inning walk-off double ended an emotionally and physically-draining contest.

There’s a lot to take away from the Braves’ extra-innings victory against the Pirates, but here’s three of our biggest takeaways.