If you’re going to challenge The Freeze at an Atlanta Braves game, you’d better have more than confidence. You’d better have world-class speed. One Braves fan learned that lesson the hard way Thursday after trying to taunt the popular in-game racer before their sprint around the warning track.
The Freeze has become one of the most recognizable entertainment features at Truist Park. During the race, a randomly selected fan is given an enormous head start while The Freeze waits several seconds before taking off. Even with that advantage, the outcome is usually the same. The Freeze steadily closes the gap, blows past the runner, and crosses the finish line first.
This time, the fan added an extra layer of drama before the race had barely begun.
A Costly Braves Celebration
After taking off from the left-field foul line with his sizable head start, the fan turned around and blew The Freeze a kiss. It was a bold gesture, but it quickly became one he would regret.
Instead of sprinting at full speed from the beginning, the fan appeared to ease into the race. That gave The Freeze exactly the opportunity he needed. As the gap rapidly disappeared, the runner finally looked back and realized just how quickly his opponent was closing in. He tried to accelerate, but by then the race had already swung decisively in The Freeze’s favor.
The signature blue-and-yellow speedster surged past him with ease. As he flew by, The Freeze returned the favor by blowing the fan a kiss before continuing toward the finish line. With the race already decided, The Freeze even had enough room to slow down and coast before crossing the finish line along the right-field foul line.
Another Lesson From The Freeze
The crowd got exactly what it came to see: a memorable finish and another reminder that taunting The Freeze rarely ends well.
The fan’s race lasted only a matter of seconds, but it served as another example of how quickly a comfortable lead can disappear when someone underestimates the competition.
Braves Looking to Hold Their Lead
While the fan watched his big lead vanish, the Braves are hoping to avoid a similar storyline in the National League East.
Atlanta entered the weekend at 61-42, holding a 5½-game lead over the Philadelphia Phillies. Although that remains a comfortable advantage, the division race has tightened considerably since May 22, when the Braves held a commanding 10½-game lead. A difficult stretch during June allowed Philadelphia to gain ground before Atlanta steadied itself.
The Braves continued that effort Friday night by edging the Baltimore Orioles 7-6. The victory improved Baltimore’s record to 50-54, and Atlanta will look to clinch the three-game series when the teams meet again Saturday at 7:05 p.m. ET.
