On Tuesday night, the Atlanta Braves played the second game of their series with the Chicago Cubs at Wrigley Field.
They won by a score of 6-3 to tie up the series at 1-1.
Ozzie Albies (who was moved down to the 8th spot in the order) finished with two hits, including one home run and two RBIs.
He also had a stolen base.
Atlanta Braves Manager Makes Ozzie Albies Statement
After the game, manager Walt Weiss spoke about Albies (via BravesVision).
Reporter: “You told Birdie the other day you’re not going to take credit for pushing the right buttons. But I mean, you did put Ozzie in the eight hole, and he hit a big homer. But I guess the question is, the guys seem to really trust you when you do make [these] moves.”
Walt: “Yeah, look, usually there should be a method to your madness. When you do things, you should have a reason for it. And I usually communicate those things. Ozzie’s so easygoing, I didn’t really even say anything to Ozzie. But typically I do, when I make a change. But it wasn’t a big change, he’s hit seventh before, so it wasn’t a big deal. But, no, it’s great to see him swing the bat like he did tonight, especially from the left side. And a big homer, man.”
Reporter: “At his best, just… with the upcoming games coming up, what does it mean to have him at his best? [Who’s that, Ozzie?] Ozzie, yeah.”
Walt: “No, it’s huge, man. He’s obviously been really impactful for us for several years now here. And we’ve got several of those guys that when they get going, swing the bat, and we’ve seen our offense be the best in the game, and we’ve seen it struggle. But we know it’s in there because we did it for a couple months where we were one of the best offenses in the game.”
Looking At Ozzie
Albies is in the middle of his 10th season at the MLB level (all with the Braves).
The four-time All-Star is currently batting .245 with 142 hits, 22 home runs, 71 RBIs, 83 runs and four stolen bases in 152 games.
Atlanta Braves Manager Makes Ozzie Albies Statement After Lineup Change