Reviewing the Marlin Massacre: the Atlanta Braves 29 run game
As this game started, there was no sense of what was coming for the Atlanta Braves.
29-9. The Atlanta Braves now hold the modern National League record for runs scored in a single game. But there’s no way you could have seen it coming. 10 or 15 runs? Sure. 29?? Naw, come on…
I mean, sure: the Dodgers and Braves ended up as the top-scoring offenses in the majors for 2020, separated by a single run (349/348), and ahead of the next team — San Diego — by 23 more. Only 7 clubs managed to eclipse the 300 run mark (5 runs per game on average).
But 29 runs at once?? The Marlins weren’t a “great” team despite winning a playoff berth, but their starting pitching was doing pretty well for them overall — particularly under the circumstances.
In fact, they would have finished 11th in ERA among starters in the majors… had this game not been played (it raised their team starting ERA from 4.11 to 4.31, dropping them 3 slots).
Moreover, Pablo Lopez was in the midst of a sparkling season. His ERA for the year — aside from this game — was 2.61. For comparison purposes, Max Fried ended the year at 2.25.
That said, Lopez’ final ERA for 2020 was exactly a full run higher (3.61), thanks to what happened on that evening of September 9.
He started well: after walking Ronald Acuna Jr. he got Freddie Freeman to pop out to the shortstop behind third base before striking out Ozuna and d’Arnaud. 4 batters, 20 pitches, no harm done.
Though many will have forgotten this little tidbit, Miami actually took the lead in the top of the second inning off of hapless Braves starter Tommy Milone — the man who couldn’t stand prosperity, it would seem.
But let’s get to the fun parts…
The Big Inning
Then it started — like a firehose wide open. Dansby Swanson ripped a single to left. A pair of walks to Riley and Duvall followed, and those walks may truly have been the outcomes that hurt Lopez (and his team), given what followed.
On a 3-2 count, Ozzie Albies grounded out to first with Lopez covering first. They allowed Swanson to score on the play and the other runners moved up, but the Marlins were still up 2-1.
Inciarte lined the first pitch he saw to center, which plated Riley, but now 2 men were out and the game was tied.
That third out proved to be elusive for Miami as a missing receipt during a tax audit.
On another 3-2 count, Acuna walked for the second time in the game. Then in a span of 5 pitches, the dam burst wide open:
- Freeman single / RBI
- Ozuna single / RBI
- d’Arnaud homer / 3 RBI
It’s suddenly 7-2 and the Braves are starting to relax… which is not a good thing for opponents.
The Marlins got Lopez out of there at this point and Jordan Yamamoto came in to throw more gas on the fire.
- Swanson single, stolen base
- Riley single / RBI (8-2)
- Adam Duvall homer / 2RBI (10-2)
- Albies homer / RBI (11-2)
Finally, after the 14th batter stepped into box (Inciarte), a grounder to first ended the carnage. 11 runs (9 of them after 2 were out, though all were earned), 3 homers, 3 walks, 5 singles.
Except this was only the end of the second inning, and there was a whole lot more baseball still to come.
The Atlanta Braves and the Mid-Game
In such games (even in the third inning), the current pitcher should normally just worry about throwing strikes. Milone couldn’t stay ahead of the plucky Marlin hitters at all.
When he did, he got them out (Starling Marte on a groundout, Jesus Aguilar strikeout, and Monte Harrison also on a strikeout. In between? Not so good:
A single and a walk set the table for Lewis Brinson to launch a 2-1 pitch into the seats. Now it’s 11-5 Braves and Brian Snitker is squirming a bit.
In their half of the third, Atlanta’s offense likewise decided that they shouldn’t be complacent either. After an Acuna single, Freeman killed a ball to the right-center seats. 13-5.
3 consecutive outs brought Miami back to the plate for the 4th, and Milone wasn’t finished handing out gifts:
- Jorge Alfaro just missed a homer (out)
- Jazz Chisholm didn’t miss it (homer to right-center). 13-6.
- Miguel Rojas single
- Starling Marte walk
In a “normal” game, Milone would have been gone long before this point, but Snit needed some innings eaten. That didn’t happen and Grant Dayon came in.
Initially, things didn’t go any better for Dayton: a double/RBI followed by a Sacrifice Fly/RBI got 2 more Miami runs and a 13-8 score.
So at this point, we’ve seen four pitchers with none of them being particularly effective. That pattern didn’t improve as Yamamoto returned to face a relaxed Atlanta Braves offense.
Riley grounded out, but Duvall walked ahead of an Albies single. After Inciarte K’d, Acuna walked for the 3rd time in the game (mind you, it’s still just the 4th inning) to load the bases.
Again, Miami was close to getting out of trouble, but on a 3/2 count, Freeman doubled to unload the bases: 3 more 2-out runs and it’s 16-8.
In the fifth, a miracle occurred: a 1-2-3 inning as Grant Dayton worked a lineout from Brinson and K’d both Harrison and Alfaro.
Now a quick word about the opposition.
The Abuse of Yamamoto
Then sacrificial lamb, 24-year-old Jordan Yamamoto returned to the mound. At this point, we should pause for a moment of reflection about him still being in this 16-8 game, while entering the bottom of the 5th inning.
This didn’t start poorly, but Yamamoto had already run out of gas some time ago, and yet here he was… out there again.
d’Arnaud was retired on another “just missed” flyout, but a single and E5 put two more runners on base for Adam Duvall.
As a reminder, Duvall was on a scalding hot streak, which included a 3-homer game in Boston just a week prior to this. While starting this game slowly (I say this in relative terms), he took full advantage of the batting practice he was offered.
For this AB, he launched his second round-tripper, resulting in 3 RBI and suddenly it was 19-8.
An Albies single ensued, and Yamamoto was mercifully lifted. The runner on first was also his responsibility, and yeah… he later scored, too.
As bad as Lopez’ line had, Yamamoto’s was worse: 2.2 IP, 11 hits, 13 runs, 12 earned, 2 walks, 3 K, 4 HR. 94 pitches. For this game, that’s a 40.5 ERA.
In 2020, he yielded 23 earned runs in 11.1 innings. More than half of these came in this game.
He didn’t return to a major league mound in 2020.
I feel for the guy… Don Mattingly let that go far too long. Given what his own team was doing against Milone and Dayton, the Marlins weren’t truly out of this contest until this 5th inning, and yet he let Yamamoto continue to be beaten up.
At this point, though, not much was stopping the Atlanta Braves. The next victim was Alex Vesia, who promptly gave up a single and homer (Inciarte, Acuna respectively) on 4 pitches.
It was 22-8 after five, and the Braves get to bat three more times tonight.
Now it’s just getting nutty
The Marlins scored only once after the 4th while Atlanta only failed to score in the 8th. Everything else came in “crooked number” fashion.
In the 6th, Acuna double in 3 more runs (an error reduced his RBI count by one on the play).
In the 7th, Josh Smith allowed the bases to be loaded before Adam Duvall trotted all runners around: yes, another 3-homer day, and this one was capped via the Grand Slam.
This ended up finishing up the scoring on the day at 29-9, even as every fan watching was probably thinking “holy smokes — there’s still another inning to go!”
But Marlin reliever Ryne Stanek managed what no other visiting pitcher could accomplish on this day: he didn’t give up a run. 1 hit, but no runs.
It was probably close, though: Duvall was 3 batters away!
The Superlatives
September 9, 2020. 4 hours and 14 minutes. 29 runs.
Adam Duvall had a second 3-homer game in a week (3 for 4 with 2 walks) and 9 RBI. That gave him a 12 for 29 line (.413 with 8 homers) dating back to the Boston 3-HR game.
Poor Freddie Freeman (3 for 6) had a 6 RBI day and hardly anybody noticed.
Acuna was on base 6 times, scoring on 4 of those trips, and he was out-scored by three other teammates: Swanson, Riley, and Duvall.
While everybody got into the party, Marcell Ozuna was “the guy” who was late to the festivities: 1 for 6 with 3 strikeouts and a walk. Even late sub Adeiny Hechavarria got one plate appearance… and singled.
Even with all of the homers (7 of them), the Braves just pounded the Marlins with singles and doubles — 23 hits altogether.
Obviously, the 9 walks contributed, but the 2-out hitting and scoring was what truly made the difference.
On the pitching side, Milone failed to go the requisite 5 innings, and thus was never going to be the winning pitcher. That honor fell to Grant Dayton. Despite a shaky start, Dayton was charged with no Marlin runs.
Comically, Bryse Wilson earned a 4 inning save… with 3 innings being the low threshold for that statistical oddity.
This was a game for the ages, and one that we’ll likely never see again in our lifetimes.
It was simply remarkable just how relentless the attack was, but also remarkable about how the Marlins managed their pitchers. Another year and under different circumstances, it’s hard to imagine any manager permitting that to continue as long as it did.
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For the Atlanta Braves in 2020 — and this had to be a “2020” game, right? — this game stands out as a beacon among many contests this past season: it will forever be “The 29 Run Game”.