Atlanta Braves: the most runs this franchise has scored

Big wins are called ‘laughers’ and our Atlanta Braves have had a few.  That seems like something we could all use right now.

The Atlanta Braves – in the history of their franchise – have scored 20-plus in a game six times.  There are some interesting bits of trivia that come from those games, so let’s have a little fun at the expense of the teams that were vanquished on those occasions.

6. TWENTY RUNS.  BOSTON DOVES (BRAVES), OCT 6, 1910.

This was the first time it happened, and it was also the quickest of the six games… by far.

Can you imagine a 20-7 final score that required just 1 hour and 52 minutes to play??  Moreover, can you imagine a team with 100 losses on the year (they were 50-99 entering this game; 53-100 for the season) destroying another opponent like this?

After spotting the Phillies (then 75-74) 3 runs in the top of the first, the Doves/Braves started back slowly, but really got rolling against starter Bob Ewing in the second.  By the end of the third, Ewing (8 runs) was long gone and it was 12-3 in front of a reported crowd of 985.

Philly reliever Charlie Girard seemed to restore order … for a while … but he ended up being charged with the remaining 12 runs.  His earned-run count for the game mercifully went unrecorded, though 2 Philadelphia errors might have helped… kinda.

The Doves replaced their starter after the first inning (yes, they used an ‘opener’, it seems), so Al Mattern enjoyed the spoils of war.  In fact, he went 3 for 4 at the plate and scored thrice himself.

Boston left fielder Bill Collins was 4 for 6 and hit for the cycle – good timing as it was only his 3rd dinger of the year. Wikipedia reports that this was the FIRST time that feat had been performed in the majors.

The rest of the damage was spread out well:  everybody batting got at least one hit and scored as the team OPS for the game was 1.432.