ATLANTA -- Josh Naylor knew what was about to happen.

He was on deck when automatic runner Steven Kwan was moved to third base on an Andrés Giménez groundout, sending José Ramírez to the plate with the game tied in the top of the 11th inning.

There was no doubt in Naylor’s mind that the Braves were going to walk Ramírez. And why wouldn’t they? Not only has he proven to be one of the best hitters in the league year after year, having a runner on first could set up a potential inning-ending double play. Why not try their luck against Naylor instead?

“'They’re going to walk him, they’re going to want to face me and I’m going to make them regret it … in a humble way,'” Naylor said.

Naylor needed just one pitch to humbly make them regret pitching to him, as he sent the go-ahead RBI double into the right-field corner to help the Guardians walk away with a 4-2 victory over the Braves at Truist Park on Saturday night.

“But I want that,” Naylor continued. “I want them to walk him because I want that chance to get that big-time run in and put the boys up by one or two, whatever the case is. I never shy away from those moments. Those are moments that I live for.”

That last sentiment is an understatement for the way Naylor has thrived in the spotlight this year. Entering the night, Naylor owned a .462 average and 1.409 OPS in late and close situations this year. Those moments are defined by plate appearances in the seventh inning or later when his team is tied, ahead by one or the tying run is at least on deck.

For so long, Ramírez was the only bat a Cleveland fan would want in the batter’s box with the game on the line. Now, either he or Naylor will easily suffice.

“[Naylor] wants the big moment,” Guardians manager Stephen Vogt said. “He wants to step up for his teammates. This is an unbelievable teammate, Josh Naylor, and he wants that for everybody, not just himself. That’s what makes him who he is.”

Naylor explained earlier this year that he had so much confidence in his brother, Bo, to deliver in a big moment because of watching him in the backyard growing up. Those same memories also translate to why the eldest Naylor’s pulse doesn’t seem to rise when the pressure is on.

He remembers his parents throwing out situations in the backyard on his final pitch of the day. He needed to hit the ball over the neighbor’s fence to win the game. He had one chance and it taught him how to hit when the stakes were high.

“If we don’t do [hit the ball over the neighbor’s fence], it sucks because we got to live with it for the rest of that night and then come back tomorrow and try to do it,” Naylor said. “It’s something we’ve always done as kids and it’s what we love. Those are the moments we drive for.”

Now, he’s been able to live out those childhood fantasies on baseball’s biggest stage. Although he had gone 0-for-12 heading into Saturday’s game, it was almost as if there was an expectation that he would once again deliver with the game on the line when he stepped into the batter’s box in the top of the 11th.

He’s been so consistent for the Guardians that it’s hard to encapsulate the impact that Naylor has had on the Guardians’ early success this season. But Nick Sandlin, who picked up his first career save by shutting the Braves down in the bottom of the 11th, did his best to sum up Naylor’s hot start.

“Hellacious,” Sandlin said.

There was no doubt in Naylor’s mind as he walked up to the batter’s box in that final frame. He wasn’t rattled when the flap on his helmet broke as he was on deck. He certainly wasn’t surprised when Ramírez was given an intentional free pass to first base so that he could be the one at the plate with the game on the line instead. The only thing he felt was eagerness to get the job done once again.

“It’s just something you want to experience in your life,” Naylor said. “Those pressure opportunities, they’re a blessing. It’s what you work hard for. It’s what you want to be part of every single day.”