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⭐ THE PANEL REACTS TO NLCS GAME 2
Braves 9, Pirates 8 — Atlanta leads series 2–0
MIKE FRANCESA
“Look, let me start with this: the Pirates scored EIGHT runs. EIGHT. You score eight in a postseason game and you LOSE? That’s disgraceful. That’s on the bullpen, that’s on the manager, that’s on everybody in that clubhouse.
Now as for Atlanta—Alex Fernandez was OUTRAGEOUS. Two homers, a triple… the man hit everything except the MARTA train. Eleven total bases! And the Pirates STILL couldn’t figure out how to pitch to him. At what point do you stop giving him fastballs? At what point do you pitch around him? They never did.
And then the ninth inning… a walk-off groundout! Pittsburgh had everything going early—Croke with the two homers, Saldana with a big blast later—but in the big spots? They fell apart again. Atlanta? They know how to close. That’s why they’re 5–0.”
CHRIS “MAD DOG” RUSSO
“MIKEY, THIS WAS A TRACK MEET! I MEAN MY GOODNESS! EIGHT TO EIGHT, SIX HOMERS, LEAD CHANGES EVERY OTHER INNING—THIS WAS LOONEY TUNES BASEBALL!
BUT HERE’S THE STORY: THE PIRATES CAN’T HOLD A LEAD! THEY WERE UP 1–0! THEN 2–0! THEN 3–1! THEN 6–4! AND EVERY SINGLE TIME, THE BRAVES PUNCHED RIGHT BACK!
AND WHAT IS SCHMITT DOING OUT THERE!? THROWING BATTING PRACTICE! FOUR HOME RUNS OFF HIM! FOUR! RIDICULOUS!
ALEX FERNANDEZ! OH MY GOODNESS! HE WAS A ONE-MAN FIREWORK SHOW! AND PAUL JOSEPH WITH THE WALK-OFF—NOT EXACTLY KIRK GIBSON, BUT IT COUNTS!
PITTSBURGH—PLAY SOME PITCHING, FOR CRYIN' OUT LOUD!”
COLIN COWHERD
“This is what I always say about Atlanta: they’re a quarterback franchise. They play with confidence, they stay composed, they don’t panic. The Pirates are emotional—they ride waves. Atlanta? They manage storms.
This was a culture win. Becerra was bad. The bullpen had to patch it together. The Pirates were hitting moonshots—Croke looked like a video game. And yet the Braves never blinked. That’s identity. That’s psychological DNA.
And Alex Fernandez? This is why I call him ‘The Accelerator.’ He speeds up the game. Best athlete on either roster, best instincts, best feel. When your star plays like THAT in October? You don’t lose.
Pittsburgh is fun, but Atlanta’s the adult in the room.”
BOB COSTAS
“There’s a beauty to postseason baseball when it becomes a duel of resilience. Today, both teams produced moments of brilliance—Marty Croke’s pair of home runs and Saldana’s clutch shot showcased a Pirates team with no shortage of heart.
But Atlanta…they are playing with the poise of a seasoned contender. Fernandez authored a performance for the ages: two majestic home runs and a soaring triple that seemed to electrify every corner of Truist Park. The ballpark pulsed with anticipation every time he stepped in.
Pittsburgh wasn’t merely beaten—they were outlasted. The Braves’ bullpen, particularly MacKenzie and Thomas, did just enough to steady the ship. And the decisive run? It was almost poetic: not a towering blast, not a dramatic line drive, but a simple, pressure-laden groundout.
Sometimes October rewards the ordinary more than the spectacular.”
CHARLES BARKLEY
“Man, that was some crazy baseball! Lemme tell you something—if you score eight runs and lose, your pitching STINKS. Straight-up stinks. Brings back memories of some Suns teams I was on—score a hundred and somethin’, still lose ’cause nobody guardin’ nobody.
Atlanta? They tough, man. They down, they come back. They down AGAIN, they come back AGAIN. Braves like that team at the YMCA that just won’t go away.
And Alex Fernandez—good Lord. That boy was hittin’ everything but the PA announcer. Two homers, a triple? That ain’t baseball, that’s batting-practice tape.
And hey—walk-off groundout? Pirates gotta be sick. That’s like losing a game on a missed layup. Terrible!”
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