ATLANTA -- Eli White began dreaming of moments like this a couple of decades ago, when his family would venture to Turner Field to see Chipper Jones and their other Braves favorites play.
¡°I¡¯m going to struggle to sleep tonight because it¡¯s going to be running through my head,¡± White said. ¡°I¡¯m super excited. It¡¯s something every kid dreams of -- hitting the go-ahead homer in the bottom of the eighth or the bottom of the ninth. It was just a cool thing to experience.¡±
White was still beaming with joy nearly 30 minutes after hitting the three-run eighth-inning homer that gave the Braves a 4-1 win over the Cardinals on Wednesday afternoon at Truist Park. This unexpected contribution from a backup outfielder provided a fitting end to what was a feel-good homestand.
¡°I kind of feel us creeping back to where we want to be, playing good baseball,¡± Braves manager Brian Snitker said.
The Braves entered this homestand 5-13 and then doubled their win total by sweeping a three-game series against the Twins and taking two of three from the Cardinals. They won Friday and again on Monday with the help of five-run eighth-inning rallies. Then White added yet another memorable late contribution.
¡°It's pretty cool for him,¡± Braves center fielder Michael Harris II said. ¡°I know they wanted to get a mismatch and bring a righty in. So, he showed them.¡±
With runners at second and third and one out, the Cardinals replaced left-hander JoJo Romero with right-hander Ryan Fernandez. Snitker stuck with White, who came to the plate having gone 4-for-20 on the season. This was just his sixth start of 2025.
Had Snitker replaced White with pinch-hitter Alex Verdugo, the Cardinals may have walked Verdugo to set up a matchup against Stuart Fairchild, who struggles against right-handed pitching. So the decision was made to save Verdugo to pinch-hit for Fairchild.
Three pitches later, White drilled a slider into the second deck above the left-field wall. The three-run shot traveled a projected 434 feet, per Statcast. This was the 30-year-old outfielder¡¯s first home run of the season and the 11th of his career. Nine of those were hit for the Rangers between 2021-22.
¡°I have to pinch myself every time I put the [Braves] uniform on,¡± White said. ¡°Just to be able to come through for the team and get the win, that¡¯s special.¡±
When was the last time White did something comparable?
¡°I know I hit a game-tying homer one time at Double-A, but nothing was this big of a deal,¡± White said.
The Braves¡¯ only loss during this homestand occurred on Tuesday, when they had to go with a bullpen game after scheduled starter Spencer Strider suffered a right hamstring strain. Strider¡¯s absence will ensure 2023 All-Star Bryce Elder will continue getting opportunities to prove he can be an effective starter.
Elder struggled through Wednesday's first inning -- walking two, throwing a wild pitch and allowing one run -- but he kept the Cardinals scoreless over the remainder of his six-inning effort. His ability to rebound put Harris in a position to add to his recent success with a game-tying single in the seventh.
Harris improved his OPS from .507 to .617 while going 9-for-23 (.391) on the homestand. Atlanta also was boosted by the arrival of Verdugo, a couple more Sean Murphy homers and the success realized by both Matt Olson and Austin Riley over the past week.
There was plenty for the Braves to like about this homestand, especially its final hero. White gained one of the last roster spots out of Spring Training, and he has had to keep himself mentally and physically prepared with his backup role.
¡°He does everything right, cares, works hard and understands his role,¡± Snitker said. ¡°He provides a lot for us, honestly. That was a bomb.¡±
It was a homer many Braves fans will long remember, especially the one who hit it.
¡°I can¡¯t stop sweating,¡± White said. ¡°That was an amazing feeling.¡±