On Sunday afternoon, the Atlanta Braves picked up a much-needed win against the Cincinnati Reds at the Bristol Motor Speedway in Tennessee. The hero of the 4-2 win for the Braves was Eli White, who knocked two home runs into the seats during the game, which was originally scheduled for Saturday night but later postponed due to rain.
In fact, in the process, White made a bit of MLB history.
“Eli White became the first player to homer not just once but twice at a NASCAR track,” reported Mark Bowman and Mark Sheldon of MLB.com.
White was in the lineup for the injured Ronald Acuna Jr.
“They both kind of blurred together honestly,” White said about the home runs. “I kind of blacked out after I hit both of them.”
He added that “it was a super special experience all around.”
Eli White has been one of the only success stories for a Braves team that has otherwise performed vastly below expectations so far this year.
Atlanta entered the 2025 season on the short list of teams that figured to have a legitimate chance of contention for a World Series championship, something they haven't accomplished since the 2021 season.
However, a combination of injuries along with major regression from several players on the roster has kept the Braves well below their ceiling so far this year.
The Braves were widely expected to be sellers at the trade deadline amid their rough season; however, Atlanta recently puzzled fans by largely remaining stagnant as the deadline came and went.
At this point, the Braves haven't been officially eliminated, but their playoff streak dating back to the 2018 season is certainly on life support with less than two months remaining in the regular season.
The Braves will next hit the field back at home for the first game of a series against the Milwaukee Brewers on Monday evening.
