The 2019 Atlanta Braves weren't one of the best teams fans had seen. However, there were a lot of fun and exciting moments to reminisce on. There are so many good ones to choose from, including Brian McCann's final MLB season, Austin Riley's first season, Josh Donaldson's homer celebration, Acuna reaching the 30/30 club, and so much more.
Atlanta didn't flourish in the postseason like they hoped (sorry to remind you of game 5 of the NLDS), and it became an easy season to forget. However, it was great to see the Braves win back-to-back NL East titles for the first time in a while.
There is one moment that sticks out as an exciting, but easily forgettable because of which player was involved. Rafael Ortega surely isn't a household name for Braves fans. However, he electrified them with a big swing against the dreaded Dodgers.
Rafael Ortega had his big moment with the Braves before moving on and fading from memory
Atlanta couldn't find a way to solve their LA problem for a few years, so anytime the Braves could find a way to win, it was special. Ortegea came to the plate in the sixth inning against Dustin May with Atlanta down 3-1, and the bases juiced.
He absolutely obliterated the baseball into the Braves' bullpen and sent Truist Park into a frenzy. This was enough to lift Atlanta over LA with a final score of 5-3 when things were all said and done. Ortega's grand slam had fans hyped for when he returned to the plate in the eighth inning.
Ortega's homer helped give the Braves some confidence, and they ended up winning that series against LA. Ortega wasn't known for having a lot of pop, but he had slugged 21 homers with Triple-A Gwinnett before being called up.
Unfortunately, the rest of his season was very underwhelming with a .205 average over 34 games. He had 18 hits, including three doubles, two homers, 10 RBI, and 22 strikeouts. Not the best showing, but at least he gave fans one shining moment against their West Coast rival.