Atlanta Braves second baseman Ozzie Albies hit a foul ball in the worst possible place to hit one on Wednesday.
In the fifth inning of a 3-1 win over the San Francisco Giants, Albies hit a foul ball into his own dugout, striking Braves manager Brian Snitker in the groin. Luckily, the 68-year-old Snitker seemed fine and even smiled after the impact.
Brandon Gaudin and CJ Nitkowski, who were in the Braves broadcast booth, at least enjoyed the moment once they realized what had happened.
“Oh, look out. That hit Brian Snitker. He’s OK, but the ball bounced off his belly… Oh, no, not his belly. Never mind. That’s a different kind of belly.”
“Belt buckle. Hopefully.”
“Does the manager wear a cup?”
When asked after the game if he was OK, Snitker jokingly posed the “next question” and replied, “I told Ozzie I got his best ball.”
Other than that swing, it was a very good game for the Braves. Starting pitcher Chris Sale continued his strong first half, allowing just three hits and one earned run over six innings while striking out nine batters, while the relief pitchers combined to give up just one run over three innings.
Adam Duvall and Austin Riley each hit a one-RBI double to provide all the runs Atlanta needed. Duvall’s double contributed to his three-hit game on the day. With the win, the Braves improve to 47-37 and move into first place in the National League Wild Card standings, nine games behind the Philadelphia Phillies for first place in the National League East.
