ATLANTA -- Jorge Soler had taken only 11 plate appearances as a pinch-hitter over the past three years. Nine of them occurred this season, including two in the playoffs, but the concept was still foreign to him. His strategy was to swing as often as he could.
The Atlanta Braves would utilize only relievers in Game 4 of the World Series on Saturday night, which meant Soler could be summoned at any moment. So from the second inning on, Soler spent most of his time in the bowels of Truist Park in Atlanta taking repeated swings in the batting cage.