Arcia's knock gives Braves walk-off thriller in home opener

ATLANTA -- Orlando Arcia has continued to take the high road when asked whether he was bothered during Spring Training listening to Vaughn Grissom and Braden Shewmake being touted as the favorites to begin this season as Dansby Swanson’s replacement.

Instead of complaining, Arcia is taking full advantage of an opportunity and allowing Braves fans to spend this season’s first week forgetting that Swanson is now with the Cubs.

Arcia added to the list of great Braves home opener memories when he delivered a walk-off single that concluded a 7-6 comeback win over the Padres on Thursday night at Truist Park.

“I like those situations a lot, mainly because I just tell myself I want to do whatever I can to help the team win,” Arcia said through an interpreter. "I kind of fixate on that and do whatever I can to pull it off for the team.”

Having already erased a two-run deficit in the eighth with Arcia’s help, the Braves began their ninth-inning rally with Eddie Rosario’s two-out, pinch-hit double. Rosario slapped Nabil Crismatt’s 3-2 slider into the right-field corner and raced to second base. Arcia followed by hitting his game-ender to center field.

“It doesn’t matter if you’re an American guy or a Latin guy, we’re united as a team,” Arcia said. “We get along so well. I think that’s the key to our success.”

With their first comeback win of the young season, the Braves improved to 6-1 for just the fourth time this century, having also reached this mark in 2007, '13 and '15.

Arcia’s third-inning homer helped build a lead for Spencer Strider, who struck out nine, but allowed a three-run homer to Matt Carpenter against a knee-high fastball. The Padres gained a two-run lead against Kirby Yates in the top of the eighth and then watched the Braves tie the game with three straight two-out singles in the bottom of the inning.

Every time the Braves needed a spark, they received one from Arcia, who has gone 10-for-27 with two doubles and two homers through this season’s first seven games.

“It’s awesome,” Olson said. “You can’t help but to root for the guy. With the spot he’s been in over the past couple years of being the role guy and not knowing when your next at-bat or start will be. He’s done a hell of a job with the opportunity he has been given and it’s been a lot of fun to watch.”

Arcia served as the Brewers’ starting shortstop from 2017-20 and produced some memorable moments during his time in Milwaukee. But scouts and evaluators began to see him more as a backup infielder, a role he served the past two seasons in Atlanta.

When Spring Training began this year, Arcia served as a security blanket of sorts in the Braves' shortstop competition. Grissom’s range has created reason to wonder whether he can be effective in that role as an every ay player. As for Shewmake, he could benefit from the additional offensive seasoning he’s gaining with Grissom at the Triple-A level.

Still, many storylines still pointed to the likelihood either Shewmake or Grissom would become Atlanta’s starting shortstop. As late as March 18, Snitker said, "We're going to take one of the two [Shewmake or Grissom] more than likely. We'll see who we leave with in a couple of weeks."

Three days later, Shewmake and Grissom were optioned, opening the door for Arcia to spend this past week allowing his production to back up his belief in his ability to be an everyday shortstop.

“Arcia has been a really good player for a long time,” Braves manager Brian Snitker said. “He’s been a starting shortstop on division-winning teams. He’s got a slow heartbeat and he’s confident in his abilities.”

And when he does deliver like he did in this celebratory home opener, he savors the chance to be showered with praise and whatever is in the dugout coolers.

“I try to be in the middle of all of it,” Arcia said.