Yelich’s Power, Bohm’s Bat Lift Braves to Extra-Inning Win in Series Opener

TABL Beat Writer - Sammy Linedriv

The first game of the AC East playoff clash between New York’s cross-state rivals lived up to every bit of its billing. It was crisp, tense, and beautifully pitched, the kind of baseball that feels both timeless and fleeting. In the end, it was the Buffalo Braves who claimed the opener, edging the Brooklyn Panthers 3–2 in ten innings on a walk-off double from Alec Bohm under the lights at Buffalo Park.

From the opening pitch, it was clear both starters had brought their best. Chris Sale, the veteran left-hander for Brooklyn, and rookie Tanner Bibee for Buffalo each set down the side in order in the first, their rhythms nearly identical, fast, efficient, and full of intent.

The game’s first crack came in the second. After a walk to Josh Naylor, Christian Yelich stepped in and left little doubt.

The swing was compact, the sound unmistakable, a no-doubter into the right-field seats, giving Buffalo an early 2–0 lead and sending the home crowd into a roar that hung in the September air.

Brooklyn answered the way good teams do, quietly and deliberately. Marcell Ozuna launched a solo homer in the fourth to cut the deficit in half, and catcher Kyle Higashioka followed with a leadoff blast in the fifth, tying the score at two. From there, Sale and Bibee settled in, trading zeroes and matching each other’s precision inning after inning.

Bibee left after seven strong, allowing just three hits and striking out six. Ben Joyce carried the torch with two spotless frames in relief. Sale, meanwhile, found another gear. After Higashioka’s home run, he retired the next 11 batters he faced, a masterclass in control and focus. His final line read like vintage Sale: 9 innings, 5 hits, 2 runs, 9 strikeouts.

Brooklyn’s best chance came in the ninth when Juan Soto laced a single to center and tried to stretch it into a double, but Jackson Merrill’s throw was perfect, cutting him down and preserving the tie.

Into the tenth they went. Jason Adam took the mound for Buffalo and worked around a leadoff walk to Gunnar Henderson, while Nick Martinez came on for Brooklyn in the bottom half.

Christian Yelich struck out to start the inning, but Willy Adames followed with a single, setting the table for Alec Bohm. On a 1–1 pitch, Bohm drove a liner deep into the right-center gap — Adames rounded third and scored standing, and the Braves claimed Game One in walk-off fashion.

Yelich’s home run, Bohm’s bat, and Sale’s stoic brilliance defined a night that never lost its edge. The Braves lead the series 1–0, with Game Two set to feature another marquee matchup: Tarik Skubal for Buffalo against Bryan Woo for Brooklyn — another chapter in what already feels like a classic rivalry. W – Adam (1–0)

L – Martinez (0–1)

HR – Yelich (BUF), Ozuna (BKN), Higashioka (BKN)