So, the Atlanta Braves’ 8-4 win over the Toronto Blue Jays should have been the headline, right? After all, finally, the bats looked alive. But they were robbed of their spotlight. By the end of the game, everyone was talking about something else entirely. A moment that has now gone from being light-hearted and fun to being rather controversial.
And it all started during the fifth inning when Braves dugout reporter Wiley Ballard was doing his segment. It started normal, a mid-game check-in where he chatted up two women, Lauren and Kayla. He asked them if they were Braves fans and even shared a few laughs. But then Ballard was suddenly caught grinning and saying, “Got the digits!” Wondering what’s that about?
Yes. Ballard just asked for a fan’s number on live television and even got it!
Of course, this wasn’t just a rogue move. The Atlanta Braves broadcast team did kind of egg Ballard on from their booth. Brandon Gaudin joked, saying, “You’ve got four innings to get the numbers,” and Ballard responded with, “I’m on it,” and pulled out his phone. And if your jaw hit the floor hearing this, you are not alone. The lady he asked, Lauren, looked confused at first, and asked point blank, “They wanted you to get my number?” Ballard, though, insisted that he was serious.
And this moment has blown up online, especially after Fox 5 Atlanta’s Miles Garrett posted the clip. So much so that the views on the video are 1.6 million+ and counting. But not everyone is finding his pickup game charming. Big Ten Network’s Kylen Mills seems furious and tweeted, saying, “But here you see this inappropriate behavior being celebrated as ‘the standard’ by a slew of men in the comments. Misogyny is alive & well!” Several others agreed with her point, calling the entire ordeal unprofessional and highlighting the double standard women face in the sports world too.
In one way it may seem harmless, but in another, the question is— what if the roles were reversed? If a woman covering the game went up to fans and asked for their numbers, would the internet have shown mercy on them? That was the question many had. But at the end of the day, while Wiley Ballard may have gotten the number, he also got into a huge mess.
Atlanta Braves bats finally come alive against Toronto Blue Jays
The viral moment might have taken over the internet, but while that raised eyebrows, the team itself raised hopes with an 8-4 win. It was a much-needed turning point because Atlanta had been dragging on a sluggish season all along. However, with that win over Toronto, the Braves have improved to 5-11. They proved that they were in there to win, and the bats were indeed alive. Starting with Austin Riley, who was the complete hero of the day, and went 2-for-4 with two home runs and five RBIs.
Riley looked like he was in full form again. And not just Riley; even Sean Murphy looked great, as he sent one deep for a solo blast. But, the Braves fans have more to look forward to than watching their stars remember how to hit again. The buzz right now is that Spencer Strider is coming back. Yes, the same fireballer who hasn’t pitched in over a year since undergoing elbow surgery.
Strider has had a great rehab outing with Triple-A Gwinnett, where he struck out 12 of 21 batters he faced. He is possibly set to return as soon as Wednesday, as per some sources; that’s the series finale. This could be a real game changer, as the Braves rotation, already with Cy Young winners Chris Sale and Spencer Schwellenbach could become terrifying with Strider’s return. The team hasn’t made it official yet, but unless there are any last-minute problems, Strider is surely going to make a comeback. But of course, a slow and caution-filled way to ease him back is surely the way to go for the team.
If you are a Braves fan, how excited are you watching the team get back hot and heavy? Let us know!
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