Braves' Yastrzemski Walks Off Grandpa's Team in Extras

Mike Yastrzemski grew up sleeping with a baseball glove that Braves manager Bobby Cox gave him, dreaming of moments just like this.

On Friday night at Truist Park in Atlanta, the grandson of Red Sox legend Carl Yastrzemski got to live that dream. He smacked a walk-off double in the 10th inning to lift the Braves to a 3-2 victory over his grandfather's team, the Boston Red Sox.

The at-bat almost went very differently. Yastrzemski fouled off two bunt attempts trying to move the automatic runner from second base, creating a tense moment where he had to shift gears completely.

"It was one of those moments where walking back to the plate after fouling off a second pitch, it's like, 'It's time to buckle up, and you've got to do something now,'" Yastrzemski said. "I think the competitive nature just kicked in."

That competitive fire sent his double sailing into left-center field, allowing Ha-Seong Kim to score easily and sending the home crowd into a frenzy. For Yastrzemski, who grew up in suburban Boston as a Braves fan in the National League, it was a storybook ending.

"It was thrilling to do it here at home," he said after the game.

Why This Inspires

This wasn't just any game-winner for Yastrzemski. The 35-year-old veteran had been struggling, entering the week hitting just .200 with a disappointing .516 OPS.

In his last seven at-bats, he's collected four hits, three of them delivering game-winning RBIs. His average has climbed to .221, and more importantly, his confidence has returned at exactly the right time.

"It's always nice when you reap the rewards of your work," Braves manager Walt Weiss said. "He's a pro. He's a team-first guy and we love when the game rewards those guys."

The victory helped the Braves improve to 31-14, the best record in Major League Baseball. Drake Baldwin, the reigning National League Rookie of the Year, hit a solo home run against a lefty pitcher, his sixth of the season in that matchup.

Yastrzemski's grandfather Carl was a beloved Red Sox icon, but on this night, the younger Yastrzemski created his own legacy with the team he cheered for as a kid.

Sometimes childhood dreams come true in the most dramatic fashion possible.