Atlanta baseball history holds few moments as wild as the 2012 comeback against Washington. The Braves trailed by nine runs in the sixth inning before storming back to win. This game defined resilience for a team that had just suffered a historic collapse the year before. It remains the perfect example of why you never count out the Braves.
A Mountain to Climb
The 2012 season started with high hopes after a disastrous 2011 finish. The team watched a nine-and-a-half-game lead vanish in September. By July, the division rivals had built a six-game lead. When Atlanta arrived in Washington, they trailed by three-and-a-half games. Entering the top of the sixth, they faced a nine-run deficit.
The odds were nearly impossible for the visitors that day. According to MLB.com Braves, the win expectancy sat at just 0.3%. They faced Stephen Strasburg, a phenom with a 2.66 ERA who just played in the All-Star Game. Most teams would have packed up their bags and waited for tomorrow. The Braves did not give up.
The Rally Begins
The turning point came when the lineup refused to fold against the ace. They knocked Strasburg out with four hits in five at-bats to open the sixth. Brian McCann hit a two-run homer to get things started. MartÃn Prado followed with a two-run double that cut the lead to five. The team kept chipping away at the massive hole.
Two innings later, Jason Heyward drew a bases-loaded walk. Chipper Jones and Freddie Freeman added run-scoring singles to pull the Braves within one run. The momentum had completely shifted in favor of Atlanta. They scored four more runs in the eighth to make it a one-run game. Michael Bourn then hit a drive that landed high on the scoreboard for a two-run triple. This gave Atlanta a 10-9 lead. The comeback was real.
Extra Innings Drama
The drama did not end in the ninth inning. Danny Espinosa tied the game with a solo homer off Craig Kimbrel. The game moved to the 11th inning for the final decision. Dan Uggla led off with a single and advanced on an errant throw. A passed ball moved him to third base before Paul Janish blooped a single to score the winner. Chad Durbin secured the final out after a diving stop by Uggla.
This victory pulled the Braves to within two-and-a-half games of first place. They closed the gap further by winning the next day. The series proved that this team could fight through any deficit. It remains a classic for a reason. Fans still talk about that night today.
What is your favorite Braves comeback moment from the last decade?
