Austin Riley Makes Braves and MLB History With Latest Game-Tying Home Run
By Jerry Trotta
If you don't already know the name Austin Riley, we suggest that you do so at your earliest convenience, because the Atlanta Braves' 22-year-old prospect has been out here redefining the term "hot" since his first big league call up two weeks ago.
It was much of the same for the slugging phenom on Thursday afternoon, as he belted a game-tying two run home run in the eighth inning against the Giants on the road. And in doing so, however, the youngster etched his name in Braves and MLB history.
With his 8th inning home run today, @austinriley1308 became the first #Braves player in the last 111 years to hit five homers within his first nine career games, and just the ninth player to do so in all of baseball.#ChopOn pic.twitter.com/qU6Ld6eYuA
— Atlanta Braves (@Braves) May 23, 2019
Let that sink in. There have been some legendary offensive juggernauts that have spent the majority of their Hall of Fame careers in a Braves uniform -- Hank Aaron, Eddie Matthews, and Chipper Jones were pretty good -- And yet, Riley became the first player in over a century to manage five big flies in his first nine career MLB games.
.@austinriley1308 IS A HUMAN CHEAT CODE ? pic.twitter.com/aFciROeZob
— Atlanta Braves (@Braves) May 23, 2019
Oh, and he also drove in the game-winning run in the 13th inning.
Coming into Thursday's game, Riley boasted an otherworldly .367/.406/.800 slash line to go along with four long balls, seven runs scored and nine RBI.
The DeSoto Central High School product will come back to earth eventually but in the meantime, he has absolutely earned an every-day spot in Atlanta's line up card.