MILWAUKEE (AP) — Jorge Soler delivered one of the most memorable moments in Atlanta Braves history with his three-run homer that sparked a the final victory in the 2021 World Series.
The Braves would love to see him recreate that success as they prepare for another postseason run by reuniting members of that championship team.
Soler, 32, led off and played right field Wednesday against the Milwaukee Brewers, two days after the Braves reacquired him and reliever Luke Jackson — another member of that 2021 team — from San Francisco for reliever Tyler Matzek and minor league infielder Sabin Ceballos.
“I did think that one day I’d probably come back,” Soler said through a translator before Tuesday’s game. “But not as soon as I’m back.”
Soler opened his second tenure with the Braves by going 0 for 3 in a 6-2 victory, though he also had a two-out walk to load the bases in the seventh inning just before Austin Riley's tiebreaking two-run single put Atlanta ahead for good.
This move came less than a month after the Braves signed outfielder Eddie Rosario, MVP of the Braves’ 2021 4-2 NL Championship Series victory over the Los Angeles Dodgers. Soler was the MVP and Jackson pitched 3 2/3 innings of scoreless relief in Atlanta’s 4-2 World Series triumph over the Houston Astros.
The moves continued general manager Alex Anthopoulos’ history of making big additions at the trade deadline. Three years ago, the Braves hadn’t been above .500 all season when Anthopoulos acquired Rosario from Cleveland, Soler from Kansas City and outfielder Joc Pederson from the Chicago Cubs at the deadline.
Those additions provided an energy boost. This time, Anthopoulos again wanted to spark a team competing for a seventh straight playoff berth after losing 2023 NL MVP Ronald Acuña Jr. and ace pitcher Spencer Strider to season-ending injuries.
The Braves are playing without injured second baseman Ozzie Albies, center fielder Michael Harris II and left-hander Max Fried. They entered Wednesday leading the NL wild-card standings, though only a single game separated the top four teams.
Anthopoulos said it was important for the front office to send a message of support by upgrading the roster.
“I’m just grateful for the opportunity to be back and the fact he wants me around,” Soler said. “Even more so, I’m just grateful that they gave me the opportunity in ’21. Obviously things weren’t going well for me in Kansas City, and it feels like they brought me onto the team and kind of gave me another chance in baseball.”
Three years ago, Soler was batting .192 with a .658 OPS for Kansas City when the Braves acquired him. He hit .269 with a .358 on-base percentage, .524 slugging percentage, 14 homers and 33 RBIs in 55 games with Atlanta.
Soler entered Wednesday hitting .240 with a .330 on-base percentage, 12 homers and 40 RBIs in 93 games. He was batting .275 with a .389 on-base percentage, nine homers and 15 RBIs in July.
That recent surge made Soler appealing to the Braves, even though their roster construction makes him a somewhat awkward fit. Neither Soler nor Marcell Ozuna, who ranks second in the NL in OPS, had played a single game in the field this year before Wednesday.
Manager Brian Snitker said he plans to keep Ozuna in a designated hitter role while playing Soler regularly in right field.
“I haven’t played in the outfield all year long,” Soler said. “I’m excited and a little anxious.”
Soler also may have been feeling a little restless after he and Jackson endured a weary day of travel.
“We had an 11 o’clock flight that turned into a 1:30 that turned into a 5,” Jackson said.
The two teammates finally landed in Chicago and then took a car west before arriving in Milwaukee about 11:30 p.m.
That didn’t stop Snitker from putting Soler atop the lineup Wednesday.
Soler posted a .380 on-base percentage and .866 OPS the 28 times he batted leadoff for the Giants this season. Braves leadoff hitters have combined to bat .235 with a .315 on-base percentage and .378 slugging percentage this season.
“We’ve been struggling to score runs,” Snitker said Tuesday. “Hopefully he can come in and ignite this thing and try to do what he did last time he was here.”
AP Sports Writer Charles Odum contributed to this report.
The story was corrected to show Acuña was the 2023 MVP and that Soler's walk came in the seventh inning.
AP MLB: https://apnews.com/hub/MLB
FILE - Atlanta Braves' Jorge Soler celebrates a three-run home run during the third inning in Game 6 of baseball's World Series between the Houston Astros and the Atlanta Braves Tuesday, Nov. 2, 2021, in Houston. The Braves would love to see him recreate that magic as they prepare for another postseason run by continuing to reunite members of that championship team. (AP Photo/Eric Gay, File)
FILE - Atlanta Braves' Jorge Soler hits a three-run home run during the third inning in Game 6 of baseball's World Series between the Houston Astros and the Atlanta Braves Tuesday, Nov. 2, 2021, in Houston. The Braves would love to see him recreate that magic as they prepare for another postseason run by continuing to reunite members of that championship team. (AP Photo/Sue Ogrocki, File)
IVINS, Utah (AP) — Matt McCarty started the year on the Korn Ferry Tour and now is headed to the Masters, winning his first PGA Tour title Sunday at the Black Desert Championship with a 4-under 67 and one swing that all but sealed it.
McCarty won three times on the Korn Ferry Tour to earn an instant promotion in August. In his third start on the PGA Tour, he made winning look just as easy. Staked to a two-shot lead going into the final round, he never trailed at Black Desert Resort and won by three shots.
Stephan Jaeger closed within one shot with birdies on the 14th and 15th. McCarty effectively ended any threat with a 3-wood on the 310-yard 14th that was close to perfect, bounding onto the green and settling 3 1/2 feet from the cup for an eagle.
The victory means the 26-year-old left-hander from Arizona is assured of being in three of the majors next year. He gets into the Masters and PGA Championship with his PGA Tour title, and McCarty already earned a spot in the U.S. Open by leading the Korn Ferry Tour points list.
McCarty becomes the first player since Jason Gore to win three times on the developmental tour to earn an instant promotion and then win on the PGA Tour in the same season. He finished at 23-under 261 and earned $1.35 million.
SAINT-QUENTIN-EN-YVELINES, France (AP) — Dan Bradbury of England closed with a 5-under 66 to win the Open de France by one stroke.
The 25-year-old Bradbury stepped it up with four birdies on the back nine to finish at 16-under 268 for his second European tour career win. He held off Denmark’s Jeff Winther (64). The victory sends Bradbury to the Abu Dhabi HSBC Championship and the DP World Tour Championship in Dubai.
Winther could only par the last two holes and finished tied for second with Thorbjørn Olesen (68), England’s Sam Bairstow (68) and Germany’s Yannik Paul (66) at Le Golf National on the outskirts of Paris.
Swedish golfer Jesper Svensson, who held a one-stroke overnight lead from Olesen and Bairstow, shot 76 and tied for 27th. Justin Rose had a 69 and tied for 13th. Lev Grinberg, the 16-year-old Ukrainian playing for just the fifth time on the European tour, tied for 37th.
SHANGHAI (AP) — Ruoning Yin shot an 8-under 64 to win the LPGA Buick Shanghai tournament, the fourth career LPGA victory for the Chinese golfer.
Yin trailed third-round leader Mao Saigo of Japan by one stroke, but rallied with birdies on five of the final six holes. Yin finished on 25-under 263 at the Qizhong Garden Golf Club.
Saigo closed with a 71 and tied for second with Sei Young Kim of South Korea, who carded a 68. Saigo was looking for her first LPGA Tour victory. They were both six strokes off the lead, finishing at 19-under 269.
Yealimi Noh of the United States carded a 67 on Sunday to finish in fourth place, seven strokes behind the winner.
CARY, N.C. (AP) — Jerry Kelly closed with a 5-under 67 and won the SAS Championship when Padraig Harrington narrowly missed an 8-foot par putt that would have forced a playoff, giving Kelly his first PGA Tour Champions title in two years.
Kelly was bogey-free until a three-putt from 40 feet on the final hole. Padraig Harrington, who started the final round with a three-shot lead, birdied the par-5 17th to tie for the lead. But he went long on the 18th, chipped 8 feet by and missed the par putt for a 71.
Kelly won for the 12th time on the 50-and-older circuit, and the first time since the Shaw Charity Classic in August 2022. He had spent most of this year dealing with a wrist injury and rheumatoid arthritis.
The SAS Championship was the final tournament before the Charles Schwab Cup playoffs start next week for the top 72 players. Woody Austin, despite a 75 in the final round, tied for 17th and moved up two spots to No. 71. Lee Janzen held down the 72nd spot.
Shugo Imahira closed with a 2-under 68 for a one-shot victory over Ryosuke Kinoshita in the Japan Open, earning Imahira a spot in the PGA Tour’s Zozo Championship in two weeks. ... Rattanon Wannasrichan won his first Asian Tour event in seven years when he closed with a 4-under 66 for a two-shot victory over Gunn Charoenkul in the SJM Macao Open. ... Chiara Tamburlini of Switzerland finished off a four-shot victory in the Wistron Ladies Open-Taiwan with a final round of 3-nder 69. ... Hamish Brown closed with a 6-under 66 and made birdie on the first playoff hole against Lloyd Jefferson Go of the Philippines to win the Hainan Open for his second Challenge Tour title. ... Jack Buchanan closed with a 66 and made birdie on the second playoff hole against Jordan Doull to win the CKB WA PGA Championship on the PGA Tour of Australasia. ... Jonathan Broomhead closed with a 7-under 63 and beat Luke Brown in a playoff to win the Vodacom Origins of Golf-Wild Coast on the Sunshine Tour. ... Miyuu Yamashita closed with a 6-under 66 and defeated Ayaka Furue in a playoff to win the Fujitsu Ladies on the Japan LPGA. Yamashita, the No. 17 player in the world, won for the first time this year. ... Min Byeol Kim had 18 points in the final round of Dongbu Construction-Koreit Championship to win by two points over defending champion Shinsil Bang in the modified Stableford scoring tournament on the Korea LPGA.
AP golf: https://apnews.com/hub/golf
Dan Bradbury of England poses for photographers with the trophy after winning the Golf French Open at Le Golf National in Saint-Quentin-en-Yvelines, outside Paris, France, Sunday, Oct. 13, 2024. (AP Photo/Thibault Camus)
Ruoning Yin of China holds up her trophy for photos after winning the LPGA Shanghai golf tournament at China's Shanghai Qizhong Garden Golf Club, Sunday, Oct. 13, 2024. (AP Photo/Achmad Ibrahim)
