MLB Rankings: Baseball’s Greatest Hits of Week-21

LOS ANGELES, CA - AUGUST 21: Los Angeles Dodgers second baseman Max Muncy (13) hits a walk-off solo home run to win the game 2-1 over Toronto at Dodger Stadium in Los Angeles on Wednesday, August 21, 2019. (Photo by Scott Varley/MediaNews Group/Torrance Daily Breeze via Getty Images)
LOS ANGELES, CA - AUGUST 21: Los Angeles Dodgers second baseman Max Muncy (13) hits a walk-off solo home run to win the game 2-1 over Toronto at Dodger Stadium in Los Angeles on Wednesday, August 21, 2019. (Photo by Scott Varley/MediaNews Group/Torrance Daily Breeze via Getty Images)
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(Photo by Logan Riely/Getty Images)
(Photo by Logan Riely/Getty Images)

MLB Rankings: Greatest Hits in Week-21

10. Rafael Ortega, 39 percent

If the Los Angeles Dodgers face a serious challenge for their third straight National League pennant, it’s likely to come from the NL East-leading Atlanta Braves. The Braves hold a six-game lead on the Washington Nationals, and last weekend they hosted the Dodgers in what might be a three-game preview of the NLCS.

Fittingly, the teams split the first two games. But Cody Bellinger’s three-run home run off Max Fried in the first inning gave the visitors a quick advantage. Fried, however, steadied, shutting out the Dodgers until leaving after the fifth with the Dodgers in front 3-1.

But in what amounted to a rare bullpen game for the Dodgers, Dave Roberts found himself trusting lightly used Dustin May to open the sixth. May retired the first batter he faced, but walked Brian McCann and surrendered a base hit to Matt Joyce. Then he hit Adeiny Hechavarria.

That brought Rafael Ortega to the plate. A journeyman signed as a free agent last winter and called up less than a week earlier, Ortega was making his first start in the Braves’ outfield. It had to that point been an unfortunate afternoon, Ortega delivering a pair of line drives both of which were caught for outs.

Nobody caught May’s 1-2 pitch, which Ortega hammered over the wall in right-center field for only the second home run of his career and – as you might guess – his first grand slam. The blast gave Atlanta a 5-3 lead and the Braves bullpen made it stand up.