Latest news with #MichaelHarrisII
Yahoo
5 days ago
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Spencer Schwellenbach stymies Red Sox on 25th birthday in Braves' 5-0 victory
Atlanta Braves outfielder Michael Harris II catches a deep fly ball for an out against Boston Red Sox's Trevor Story during the third inning of a baseball game, Saturday, May 31, 2025, in Atlanta. (AP Photo/Butch Dill) Boston Red Sox's Walker Buehler pitches during the first inning of a baseball game against the Atlanta Braves, Saturday, May 31, 2025, in Atlanta. (AP Photo/Butch Dill) Atlanta Braves' Ronald Acuña Jr. celebrates as he rounds the bases after hitting a home run during the fourth inning of a baseball game against the Boston Red Sox, Saturday, May 31, 2025, in Atlanta. (AP Photo/Butch Dill) Atlanta Braves' Spencer Schwellenbach pitches during the first inning of a baseball game against the Boston Red Sox, Saturday, May 31, 2025, in Atlanta. (AP Photo/Butch Dill) Atlanta Braves' Spencer Schwellenbach pitches during the first inning of a baseball game against the Boston Red Sox, Saturday, May 31, 2025, in Atlanta. (AP Photo/Butch Dill) Atlanta Braves outfielder Michael Harris II catches a deep fly ball for an out against Boston Red Sox's Trevor Story during the third inning of a baseball game, Saturday, May 31, 2025, in Atlanta. (AP Photo/Butch Dill) Boston Red Sox's Walker Buehler pitches during the first inning of a baseball game against the Atlanta Braves, Saturday, May 31, 2025, in Atlanta. (AP Photo/Butch Dill) Atlanta Braves' Ronald Acuña Jr. celebrates as he rounds the bases after hitting a home run during the fourth inning of a baseball game against the Boston Red Sox, Saturday, May 31, 2025, in Atlanta. (AP Photo/Butch Dill) Atlanta Braves' Spencer Schwellenbach pitches during the first inning of a baseball game against the Boston Red Sox, Saturday, May 31, 2025, in Atlanta. (AP Photo/Butch Dill) ATLANTA (AP) — Spencer Schwellenbach struck out 11 in 6 1/3 innings on his 25th birthday to help the Atlanta Braves beat the Boston Red Sox 5-0 on Saturday. Schwellenbach (4-1) allowed five hits and didn't walk a batter. He rebounded against the Red Sox after giving up a grand slam to Rafael Devers in a 10-4 loss May 18 in Boston. Advertisement Schwellenbach has gone six-plus innings in four consecutive starts and it was the ninth time in 12 starts he's made it into at least the sixth inning this season. Ronald Acuña Jr. and Austin Riley hit fourth-inning home runs off Walker Buehler (4-3). Buehler allowed five earned runs on 10 hits with two walks and six strikeouts over 5 2/3 innings. Key moment The Braves scored four runs in fourth to take a 5-0 lead. It was just the third time since May 5 the Braves have scored at least four runs in an inning. Key stat Schwellenbach threw 10 pitches 99 mph or more in the first two innings. Those were the 10 fastest pitches of his career. Before Saturday, his fastest was 98.9 mph. Up next LHP Garrett Crochet (4-4, 2.04 ERA) was set to start for Boston against RHP Bryce Elder (2-2, 4.50) on Sunday in the series finale. ___ AP MLB:
New York Times
6 days ago
- Entertainment
- New York Times
Michael Harris II is an elite defender, but Braves are still hoping for offensive resurgence
ATLANTA — Braves center fielder Michael Harris II expresses himself with an array of distinctive headbands, color-coordinated neon-bright cleats, batting gloves and arm sleeves, and some of the most spectacular catches we've seen since 10-time Gold Glove winner Andruw Jones manned that same center-field position in Atlanta. Advertisement But what 'Money Mike' would like to add to his featured mix is more hits. The Braves know he's a much better hitter than he's shown this season, and for much of 2024, because he's hit before at a far better rate than now. And almost every other lineup regular in the majors has hit better than Harris this season. Even after getting three hits in Thursday's doubleheader split at Philadelphia, including two off lefties, Harris entered Friday's series opener against the Boston Red Sox batting .229 with a .597 OPS, the fourth-lowest among National League qualifiers. His 66 OPS+ through Thursday was 34 percentage points below a baseline-average MLB player, though his defense remained elite — he was tied for third among MLB center fielders with 6 Outs Above Average before Friday. Mike brought this one back! 💸@MoneyyyMikeee | #BravesCountry — Atlanta Braves (@Braves) May 29, 2025 'Michael is still a young player that's figuring some things out,' Braves manager Brian Snitker said. 'I know the one thing he's not doing is taking the offensive (struggles) to center field, because he's making highlight catches every day. I think you're seeing a young player that's still figuring things out, and he's going to get better. The upside is really big with a talented kid, a guy like that. He has strength and speed and can play defense. You know, this hitting is tough.' What makes it all the more frustrating for Harris, 24, and the Braves is what he's done before: He hit .295 with an .828 OPS during his first two MLB seasons in 2022-2023, with a 124 OPS+ in that span. That included a 133 OPS+ in his rookie season, when Harris was brought up directly from Double A. The Atlanta-area native hit .297 with 19 home runs and a .514 slugging percentage in 114 games as a 21-year-old that season, when Harris was NL Rookie of the Year ahead of teammate Spencer Strider. Advertisement But it's three years later, and Harris hit .214 with six extra-base hits, including no home runs in his past 26 games before Friday. He ranked among the majors' bottom 20 qualifiers with a .338 slugging percentage. He's one of the more personable and popular players in the clubhouse and among the fan base, so there are a lot of folks hoping Harris can get back on track with his hitting. He did have 14 RBIs in those 26 games, but his .257 OBP and one run scored (yes, one) over that span were jarring for a player who sprints to catch balls in the gaps and at the wall — or over the wall, as was the case Thursday in Philadelphia, when he leaped to rob Max Kepler of a home run. Braves third baseman Austin Riley said hitting success in the majors is often about making adjustments. And he can commiserate with Harris, albeit in different circumstances. Riley hit .349 with eight homers and a 1.150 OPS in the first 16 games of his career in 2019. Then pitchers figured out his weakness and started throwing him sliders away. Riley then hit .190 with a .632 OPS and 85 strikeouts in 211 at-bats over his final 64 games, his struggles exacerbated by a knee injury that sidelined him for a month beginning in early August. He sees Harris going through it now, an expression players use for slumping. 'I went through it,' Riley said. 'I came out hot, and then they started figuring me out. I think it's just more about just learning that game-inside-the-game, of just the adjustments on a daily basis. What (the pitcher) is trying to do to you, and also a big thing is understanding who's behind the plate, the catcher. Because you can start developing or figuring out tendencies on certain catchers and how they call games.' Never have there been as many analytics and sophisticated scouting of opposing players as there are now. If a hitter has a weakness, it will be exploited quickly until the hitter fixes the hole in his swing or the flaw in his approach. Advertisement 'Everybody knows your cold zones, from a hitting standpoint,' Riley said. 'Everybody knows where your holes are. I think the biggest thing is sticking to your strengths versus (worrying about the pitcher's) strengths and what they're trying to do. Because pitchers are really good, but their ability to throw in that certain location three times a row — it's not likely to happen. So I think just understanding — and I went through it too — you kind of tend to fall into that trap of thinking about what they're trying to do to you versus like, OK, let me get back to what I want to do.' Braves first-year hitting coach Tim Hyers has watched plenty of video of Harris when he was going well early in his career and also last season when he surged after a two-month IL stint for a serious hamstring strain. 'This league makes you make adjustments,' said Hyers, a former major-league journeyman who has World Series rings as a hitting coach with Texas and Boston. 'They have an army of guys on the other side that are putting game plans together, trying to find ways to get you out. So, yeah, absolutely, it can be harsh at times, and there is a learning curve. But I also think even to veteran guys, I mean, the league makes you make those adjustments. 'Because it's a copycat league. From series to series, the teams take their own data, but they also blend in what you're doing. Are you hitting the high fastball? So they take their strengths and your weaknesses and they blend them. I think that's the art of a young guy learning how to make those adjustments and not get too far away from himself. That's where a lot of young guys make mistakes, is they get away from their foundation. In trying to get in that survive mode, sometimes they lose themselves.' Which brings us to something that Harris and others, to be fair, have been working to correct. 'I think the high fastball in general — not micro'ing it (to Harris) — but high fastballs for many low-ball hitters,' Hyers said. 'Five or six years ago, everybody started to (throw fastballs up in the strike zone). Because everybody was trying to defend it, and they still made mistakes down. They still threw balls down. But we were trying to survive and everything, and we lost a strength (hitting low strikes).' Hyers said of Harris: 'He's got to get the ball off the ground. Got to find that swing plane again to redirect the baseball hard. And I think that's what he's trying to work on, and he needs to keep focusing in on it, because they're finding ways to get below his barrel and get a lot of ground balls. So he's trying to find his move, to find that swing plane, to get back to getting the ball (up) — and it's not lazy fly balls, but just redirect it. Be a line-drive machine.' Thursday was a good start, particularly his two hits off Phillies lefties, a single off starter Cristopher Sánchez and an RBI double against reliever Matt Strahm. Tie ballgame!@MoneyyyMikeee | #BravesCountry — Atlanta Braves (@Braves) May 29, 2025 'It can do a lot, especially against a guy like Sánchez, who I haven't had a lot of success against,' Harris said. 'Being able to not just get a hit, but hit it hard, see it well. It was good, that first hit. And then the double, it was good to see a slider and stay on it, and drive in a run.' 'He's got a couple of big hits here lately,' Snitker said. 'It's like everybody else. I mean, we're just kind of waiting for this whole group to get off at the same time, pretty much. It was encouraging to see some individuals (get going), and we're just kind of still waiting to put it together as a team, which allows you to get on a roll a lot of times.' Advertisement Harris said he can feel it coming, that he's getting closer to where he wants to be with his approach and swing. 'Yeah, yeah, for sure,' he said. 'I've been working nonstop on some things to be in the best position to hit, for me. I've been working, and I'm glad I was able to get some results at the plate.'
Fox News
7 days ago
- Entertainment
- Fox News
Braves outfielder Michael Harris II robs Phillies of three-run homer with sensational snag
Atlanta Braves center fielder Michael Harris II made a sensational catch as he robbed a three-run home run during the fourth inning of the team's 5-4 loss against the Philadelphia Phillies on Thursday afternoon at Citizens Bank Park. The Phillies were up 2-0 with runners on first and second base in the bottom of the fourth inning. Phillies left fielder Max Kepler smoked a hanging 85 MPH splitter off Scott Blewett and drove Harris back towards the center field wall. Harris tracked the ball all the way and timed his leap beautifully and reached over the wall to make the catch, and bring back what would have been a three-run home run for Kepler. With runners on first and second base, Harris quickly fired the ball back into the infield. After giving up the deep blast to Kepler, Blewett recorded the final out of the inning and left the inning unscathed. The Braves and Phillies are playing a doubleheader on Thursday after Wednesday's game was postponed due to inclement weather. Harris burst onto the scene with the Braves and won National League Rookie of the Year in 2022. He hit .297 with 19 home runs and 64 RBI and 20 stolen bases. However, the 24-year-old in recent seasons hasn't played as well as he did in his rookie season. This season, in 53 games, Harris has a .223 batting average with three home runs and a paltry .255 on-base percentage. The second game of the doubleheader between the Phillies (36-19) and Braves (25-29) starts at 6:45 p.m. ET. Follow Fox News Digital's sports coverage on X, and subscribe to the Fox News Sports Huddle newsletter.
Associated Press
13-05-2025
- Sport
- Associated Press
Verdugo singles in White in bottom of 9th as Braves recover and beat slumping Nationals 4-3
ATLANTA (AP) — Alex Verdugo's single off Andrew Chafin drove in Eli White from second base in the bottom of the ninth and the Atlanta Braves recovered after blowing a two-run lead to beat Washington 4-3 on Monday night and hand the Nationals their sixth consecutive loss. White led off the ninth with a single off Jackson Rutledge (0-1) before advancing to second on Nick Allen's sacrifice. Verdugo's game-ending single up the middle drove in White. Grant Holmes allowed one run and four hits, including a fourth-inning homer by James Wood, in 6 1/3 innings. Marcell Ozuna drove in two runs with two hits, including a 464-foot homer off Jake Irvin in the fifth. Raisel Iglesias (3-3) blew a 3-1 lead in the ninth. Following one-out singles by Keibert Ruiz and Luis García Jr., Josh Bell grounded out to Iglesias on the mound. With runners on second and third, Iglesias got Dylan Crews to hit a grounder to Allen, who threw wide of first baseman Matt Olson for an error, allowing two runs to score to tie it. Key moment Michael Harris II robbed García of an extra-base hit with an unlikely catch at the wall in the fourth. Running with his back to the plate, Harris reached up for the catch before banging into the wall and hanging onto the ball. Harris then shook his head as if he didn't believe he made the catch. Holmes watched from the mound in shock, holding his glove and right hand on top of his cap. Key stat Atlanta first baseman Matt Olson played in his 661st consecutive game, the majors' longest active streak. His streak began on May 2, 2021. Up next Atlanta right-hander Spencer Schwellenbach will look for his second win when former Braves right-hander Michael Soroka starts for the Nationals on Tuesday night. ___ AP MLB:
Yahoo
11-05-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Pirates Force Extras But Fall to Braves on Wild Pitch; Kelly Ejected in 2nd Game
This article originally appeared on Chase Shugart's wild pitch in the 11th inning forced home the winning run as the Pittsburgh Pirates fell 3-2 to the Atlanta Braves at PNC Park on Saturday. How We Got There Michael Harris II put the Braves (19-20) ahead 1-0 in the second inning with an RBI-double to right. Bryan Reynolds broke in on the liner but the ball ended up way over his head, allowing Marcell Ozuna to score easily. Advertisement With two outs in the following inning, Matt Olson hit a solo homer into the bullpen off Andrew Heaney to put Atlanta ahead 2-0. Click here to read more from Download the FREE WPXI News app for breaking news alerts. Follow Channel 11 News on Facebook and Twitter. | Watch WPXI NOW
