DETROIT -- Drake Baldwin strengthened his bid to win the National League Rookie of the Year Award with the home run he hit in the third inning of the Braves’ 6-5 win over the Tigers on Saturday afternoon at Comerica Park.
But his two-run shot wasn’t even his favorite home run of the inning. Nor was it even his second-favorite home run of the day. Baldwin’s lasting memories of this game will focus on his good friend Nacho Alvarez Jr., who tallied his first two career homers and then added a game-tying ninth-inning single for good measure.
“I’ve seen it a ton throughout the Minors playing with [Alvarez],” Baldwin said. “It was only a matter of time. He can really swing it. You knew it was going to happen. Today’s that day.”
Alvarez’s career-best game helped the Braves claim their seventh straight win. While Atlanta won’t be going to the postseason for the first time since 2017, it has a chance to be spoilers this weekend. The first-place Tigers are just 1 1/2 games ahead of the Guardians in the American League Central race.
A year from now, Alvarez and Baldwin would love to find themselves in a postseason race for the first time. It would add to the countless experiences they’ve shared since both were taken by the Braves within the first five rounds of the 2022 MLB Draft.
“It's crazy, when I was hurt in the beginning [of the season], that's the longest I've ever been away from him,” Alvarez said. “I know Drake better than some of my best friends back home.”
So, yeah, it was special for the two to share what transpired on Saturday.
Alvarez’s solo shot over the left-field wall in the third inning gave him his first home run in his 183rd plate appearance of the season and the 215th of his career. Five innings later, he cleared the left-center-field wall with a solo shot against Kyle Finnegan that brought the Braves within a run.
Adding one more home run would have been great. But Alvarez had reason to be thrilled with the game-tying single he hit to right field off Will Vest in the ninth. He went to the plate with the confidence hitting coach Tim Hyers created by simply saying, “You’re going to get the game-winning hit.”
“To see what happened today, it’s kind of cool,” Alvarez said. “It’s everything you work for as a kid growing up.”
This was a great day for Alvarez, who received a big hug from on-deck hitter Jurickson Profar after he crossed the plate following his first homer. His other teammates celebrated by giving him the silent treatment once he returned to the dugout.
Baldwin could be seen smirking as he ignored Alvarez, who stood just a few feet away at the bat rack. The prank ended when Alvarez walked halfway down the bench and wrapped his arms around Marcell Ozuna.
“That was probably the longest silent treatment I’ve seen,” Baldwin said. “I was super happy for Nacho to finally get the first one and the second one.”
Alvarez has hit .249 with a .355 slugging percentage over 186 plate appearances this season. The lack of power has created reason to think he’d be best deployed as a utility player at the big league level. But it’s too early to define his future. The 22-year-old rookie was supposed to play most of this season at Triple-A. But his injuries, combined with Austin Riley’s season-ending abdominal strain, limited him to just 84 plate appearances in the Minors this year.
“He’s done something with his opportunities,” Braves manager Brian Snitker said.
Alvarez has made the most of the chance he’s had to be Atlanta’s third baseman most of the season’s second half. He’s played great defense, gained valuable experience and enjoyed the chance to watch Baldwin construct his strong Rookie of the Year resume.
Baldwin has hit .271 with 18 home runs and a .791 OPS in 117 games this season. While tallying three homers and two doubles over his past six games, he may have done enough to hold off the Cubs’ Cade Horton for the NL ROY Award.
“Drake is awesome,” Alvarez said. “He’s the Rookie of the Year in my opinion.”
But there was a clear cut Rookie of the Day on Saturday.