ATLANTA — The Atlanta Braves fell flat in their opening contest of the 2023 postseason on Saturday - inspiring a slight bit of panic among fans looking at the parallels to last season's early playoff exit against the same Philadelphia Phillies.
But you won't find that panic among anyone who actually plays for the Braves.
Atlanta has been characterized all season by a brash attitude and a loose clubhouse atmosphere that's created a strong bond for the young-skewing roster.
This is not the kind of team to get stressed out over one loss. If you've watched them on the field any time this season, you'll have noticed that they have a lot of fun; this is a team that loves playing together. They are nowhere near ready to see this season come to a premature end.
The basics
- Who: Braves vs. Phillies
- What: NLDS Game 2
- Where: Truist Park
- When: 6:07 p.m.
- TV: TBS
- Tickets: Generally available on secondary markets starting around $80-$90.
Brash Braves style
From the goofy oversized hats the team wore earlier in the year (which they had to put a stop to due to sponsorship and MLB rights issues) to Ronald Acuña Jr.'s home run trots and hit celebrations.
That has at times included the "griddy," wing-flapping, the "too small" gesture and more.
"They have little stunts that they do, and you knhow, it's all something that they put together just to try to enjoy themselves, motivate each other and have a lot of fun," said team president and CEO Derek Schiller. "They're playing a game, they celebrate a lot, that's awfully fun when they do because that means they're doing great things."
It also inspired their "As One" postseason campaign - a reflection of the tight bond among the players.
While there wasn't a lot of celebrating during Game 1, fans and players alike have no doubt this is a team capable of dancing all the way to the World Series.
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