BRISTOL, Tenn. — The Atlanta Braves won a series for the first time in three weeks, and they did so with victories in two cities.
The clincher against the Cincinnati Reds came Sunday afternoon in a spotlight event that was years in the planning, at a unique venue that was months in the making, and in a game that took two days to complete.
Atlanta’s hopes for an eighth straight postseason appearance may be all but extinguished, but the Braves can call themselves MLB Speedway Classic champions — or, in racing terms, the first baseball team to take the checkered flag at Bristol Motor Speedway.
Eli White hit a three-run homer and a solo shot, Huston Waldrep made the most of an unexpected opportunity on the mound, and the Braves beat the Reds 4-2 to complete the MLB Speedway Classic. The historic game was delayed by rain twice Saturday night before ultimately being suspended with not even an inning in the books, and it picked up Sunday afternoon with the Reds leading 1-0 in and runners on first and second with one out in the bottom of the first.
White’s first homer Sunday afternoon gave Atlanta a 3-1 lead in the second inning on a temporary diamond constructed on the infield inside the half-mile track that hosts two NASCAR Cup Series weekends each year, including a playoff race next month. The ball hit a SAFER barrier — which helps decrease the impact of crashes during races — after clearing the outfield wall and the track itself.