While Austin Riley will (rightly) garner most of the headlines after the Braves’ comeback win over the Phillies on Monday night, he never would have gotten a chance to play the hero if not for what the Atlanta bullpen did.
Braves starter Max Fried battled through four hard-fought innings, allowing three runs and throwing 95 pitches in the process. Fried’s high pitch count meant that manager Brian Snitker needed to turn to his bullpen earlier than he would have like, but the five relievers he used performed admirably, allowing just one unearned run. Holding the Phillies scoreless over the final four innings of the game allowed the Braves to come back and snatch a victory, evening the series as it shifts to Philadelphia.
After the game, A.J. Minter, who pitched a scoreless eighth for the Braves, was asked to describe his performance and how his fellow relievers stepped up when they were needed most. His response included a three-word phrase that Atlanta fans won’t soon forget.
2021 Braves had the pearls..
— Zach Klein (@ZachKleinWSB) October 10, 2023
2023 Braves.. thanks to AJ Minter..
“Heart and Nuts!” pic.twitter.com/1EKnGeo2yw
“All that was was just heart and nuts. I mean, that’s all it was,” Minter said. “[Phillies starter Zack] Wheeler did an unbelievable job just locating, keeping the hitters off balance. If you would have looked two innings ago, it looked our season was coming to an end, unfortunately. The guys just battling back, just relentless, not giving in, and Austin Riley coming up and having one of the biggest hits of his career. That’s what the postseason’s all about.”
If the Braves are able to extend the series and send it back to Atlanta for a Game 5 on Saturday, it wouldn’t be a surprise to see lots of “Heart and Nuts” T-shirts in the stands.
