Stott’s Swing Saves the Season! Braves Force Game 7 in Stunning Fashion

Sammy Linedriv - TABL Beat Writer

The Buffalo Braves were one strike from winter. One strike from packing up, one swing from turning off the lights. Then Bryson Stott stepped out of the dugout.

On a cool Monday evening at Braves Field, the pinch-hitter who hadn’t recorded a hit all series connected with the swing of the season, a two-run, two-out, bottom-of-the-ninth home run that turned heartbreak into bedlam. The Braves stunned the New York Giants 3–2, forcing a decisive Game 7 for the American Conference crown.

The ball disappeared over the right-field wall, into a sea of raised arms and disbelief.

The home dugout erupted; the bullpen gate flew open before the ball even landed. Stott rounded the bases grinning like he was floating, chased by the sound of 35,000 people screaming his name.

“I didn’t think,” Stott said afterward, soaked in Gatorade and champagne. “I just saw the pitch and swung.”

A Night of Missed Chances

For eight innings, the game was a tension-filled masterpiece of missed opportunities and narrow escapes. Max Fried delivered seven innings of command and calm for New York, allowing just one run despite constant pressure. Buffalo stranded seven baserunners through the first six innings, twice loading the bases and coming up empty.

Bryce Miller kept the Braves steady early, but it was Buffalo’s bullpen that carried them from the fifth inning on, five relievers combining for four innings of one-run baseball.

The Giants had their chances. They stranded eight men, including runners on second and third in the first inning and another pair in the third.

Trading Blows in the Middle Frames

In the fifth, New York finally broke the scoreless stalemate. Miguel Rojas drew a walk, reached second on an error, and came home on a wild pitch from Joe Jimenez.

Buffalo answered immediately. Romy González doubled to open the bottom half, and Randy Arozarena followed with another two-bagger to tie the game 1–1. Christian Yelich nearly gave the Braves the lead, but was thrown out at the plate on a daring send.

From there, the bullpens took over, trading zeros and bending but never breaking, until the ninth.

Late Drama, Last Breath

Top of the ninth. Cal Raleigh, who has haunted Buffalo all series, got a fastball from Greg Weissert and didn’t miss. The solo home run to left put New York ahead 2–1 and stunned the crowd into silence.

Moments later, with two outs in the bottom half, it was Buffalo’s turn to return the favor. Willy Adames singled. Alec Bohm grounded out, moving him to second.

Then came Stott, off the bench, cold, hitting for Romy González. Robert Suarez threw a 1-0 cutter that stayed just high enough. The crack of the bat told everyone in the park that the series wasn’t over.

Stott, still catching his breath:

“When I hit it, I saw the right fielder stop running. That’s when I knew. I just ran as hard as I could, and then everyone was there.”

New York’s Max Fried, who could only watch from the dugout:

“We were one pitch away. That’s baseball — it gives and it takes.”

“You play 160-something games to earn nights like this. Bryson’s been ready all year. We just needed his moment.”

W – Weissert (1–0) L – Suarez (0–1) HR – Raleigh (NY), Stott (BUF)