Coming into Friday, Atlanta Braves fans might not have realized a certain facet of Braves baseball had been missing from the team’s game, but they probably felt it. And when Michael Harris II came up with the team down three runs, Braves fans likely felt like tying the game was nearly impossible.
When the Braves center fielder instead launched one into the Chop House, it wasn’t only a turning point in the game, it was also their first three-run homer since April. It also might be the turning point for the offense we all have been waiting for.
Michael Harris II: “Reservation for three.” pic.twitter.com/Fxld8q8oP7
— MLB (@MLB) June 14, 2025
Michael Harris II key homer may have just jumpstarted the offense
Situational hitting has been a huge issue with the offense all season. Going into Friday night’s game against the Rockies, the Braves had the ninth-worst offense by wRC+ with runners in scoring position.
Homers had also been difficult to come by for the Braves in any situation, but they seemingly evaded Atlanta as soon as a runner touched second base. With runners in scoring position, the Braves only had 11 homers all season, tied with the Pirates for fourth-worst in MLB.
While the Braves have had their share of two-run homers, they had not had a three-run bomb since Eli White’s huge homer against the Cardinals in April. So, when Money Mike hit his three-run, game-tying bomb, it felt like a long time coming for the team.
The next inning when Marcell Ozuna stepped into the box with two outs and two on, Braves fans likely felt like the team had already used up their quota of three-run home runs for the month. Instead, Ozuna sent a missile out to left to give the Braves to lead and the club their second three-run blast in a 20 minute span.
Marcell Ozuna unties it with a three-run shot 💪 pic.twitter.com/dUclAoWvuH
— MLB (@MLB) June 14, 2025
From there, the runs started raining down, as Atlanta finished Friday’s game scoring 11 unanswered runs against the Rockies, taking the first game of the series 12-4, turning what was looking like a game headed for certain disappointment into the Braves third win in the last four games.
While it would be easy to write off this offensive explosion against the Rockies as taking advantage of a seemingly impossibly bad team, the Braves have struggled to do this against everyone, including the Rockies.
The team simply putting the ball over the fence with multiple runners on base could be a reminder of just how dangerous this team could be if the offense starts clicking when it matters the most.
