Braves seeking power surge from Soler as they continue adding players from 2021 championship team

MILWAUKEE (AP) — Jorge Soler delivered one of the most memorable moments in Atlanta Braves history with his three-run homer that sparked a the final victory in the 2021 World Series.

The Braves would love to see him recreate that success as they prepare for another postseason run by reuniting members of that championship team.

Soler, 32, led off and played right field Wednesday against the Milwaukee Brewers, two days after the Braves reacquired him and reliever Luke Jackson — another member of that 2021 team — from San Francisco for reliever Tyler Matzek and minor league infielder Sabin Ceballos.

“I did think that one day I’d probably come back,” Soler said through a translator before Tuesday’s game. “But not as soon as I’m back.”

Soler opened his second tenure with the Braves by going 0 for 3 in a 6-2 victory, though he also had a two-out walk to load the bases in the seventh inning just before Austin Riley's tiebreaking two-run single put Atlanta ahead for good.

This move came less than a month after the Braves signed outfielder Eddie Rosario, MVP of the Braves’ 2021 4-2 NL Championship Series victory over the Los Angeles Dodgers. Soler was the MVP and Jackson pitched 3 2/3 innings of scoreless relief in Atlanta’s 4-2 World Series triumph over the Houston Astros.

The moves continued general manager Alex Anthopoulos’ history of making big additions at the trade deadline. Three years ago, the Braves hadn’t been above .500 all season when Anthopoulos acquired Rosario from Cleveland, Soler from Kansas City and outfielder Joc Pederson from the Chicago Cubs at the deadline.

Those additions provided an energy boost. This time, Anthopoulos again wanted to spark a team competing for a seventh straight playoff berth after losing 2023 NL MVP Ronald Acuña Jr. and ace pitcher Spencer Strider to season-ending injuries.

The Braves are playing without injured second baseman Ozzie Albies, center fielder Michael Harris II and left-hander Max Fried. They entered Wednesday leading the NL wild-card standings, though only a single game separated the top four teams.

Anthopoulos said it was important for the front office to send a message of support by upgrading the roster.

“I’m just grateful for the opportunity to be back and the fact he wants me around,” Soler said. “Even more so, I’m just grateful that they gave me the opportunity in ’21. Obviously things weren’t going well for me in Kansas City, and it feels like they brought me onto the team and kind of gave me another chance in baseball.”

Three years ago, Soler was batting .192 with a .658 OPS for Kansas City when the Braves acquired him. He hit .269 with a .358 on-base percentage, .524 slugging percentage, 14 homers and 33 RBIs in 55 games with Atlanta.

Soler entered Wednesday hitting .240 with a .330 on-base percentage, 12 homers and 40 RBIs in 93 games. He was batting .275 with a .389 on-base percentage, nine homers and 15 RBIs in July.

That recent surge made Soler appealing to the Braves, even though their roster construction makes him a somewhat awkward fit. Neither Soler nor Marcell Ozuna, who ranks second in the NL in OPS, had played a single game in the field this year before Wednesday.

Manager Brian Snitker said he plans to keep Ozuna in a designated hitter role while playing Soler regularly in right field.

“I haven’t played in the outfield all year long,” Soler said. “I’m excited and a little anxious.”

Soler also may have been feeling a little restless after he and Jackson endured a weary day of travel.

“We had an 11 o’clock flight that turned into a 1:30 that turned into a 5,” Jackson said.

The two teammates finally landed in Chicago and then took a car west before arriving in Milwaukee about 11:30 p.m.

That didn’t stop Snitker from putting Soler atop the lineup Wednesday.

Soler posted a .380 on-base percentage and .866 OPS the 28 times he batted leadoff for the Giants this season. Braves leadoff hitters have combined to bat .235 with a .315 on-base percentage and .378 slugging percentage this season.

“We’ve been struggling to score runs,” Snitker said Tuesday. “Hopefully he can come in and ignite this thing and try to do what he did last time he was here.”

AP Sports Writer Charles Odum contributed to this report.

The story was corrected to show Acuña was the 2023 MVP and that Soler's walk came in the seventh inning.

AP MLB: https://apnews.com/hub/MLB

FILE - Atlanta Braves' Jorge Soler celebrates a three-run home run during the third inning in Game 6 of baseball's World Series between the Houston Astros and the Atlanta Braves Tuesday, Nov. 2, 2021, in Houston. The Braves would love to see him recreate that magic as they prepare for another postseason run by continuing to reunite members of that championship team. (AP Photo/Eric Gay, File)

FILE - Atlanta Braves' Jorge Soler hits a three-run home run during the third inning in Game 6 of baseball's World Series between the Houston Astros and the Atlanta Braves Tuesday, Nov. 2, 2021, in Houston. The Braves would love to see him recreate that magic as they prepare for another postseason run by continuing to reunite members of that championship team. (AP Photo/Sue Ogrocki, File)

HOUSTON (AP) — When Baylor and LSU face off in the Texas Bowl on Tuesday, it will be the first meeting between the teams since the 1985 Liberty Bowl.

But they do have some familiarity with one another. Baylor coach Dave Aranda spent 2016-19 on the LSU staff, helping the Tigers to the 2019 national championship as defensive coordinator before leaving for Waco.

“It’s really cool,” Aranda said. “So many good memories and such great people, and such respect and appreciation for all of it. How my family was treated, just all of it.”

And he still holds an affinity for the school.

“I’m rooting for LSU — except for this game,” Aranda said.

Aranda’s Bears (8-4) enter the game on a high note with a six-game winning streak that came after they won just two of their first six games this season.

“I think there’s some momentum going,” Aranda said. “You get that momentum by winning, and that’s what we’ve been able to do. And we’ve got to be able to continue to do that, in any circumstance. I think if we do that, it puts us in a good position for next year, to be able to win some more.”

LSU (8-4) has won two in a row after a three-game skid as the Tigers head into their third bowl appearance under coach Brian Kelly.

“The game is such an interesting one in that momentum, belief, confidence, they all play a role,” Kelly said. “When teams are fairly equal — and that’s what the case is — all those things that I just mentioned play a role. You’re playing a team that believes they’re going to win. They’ve won games that they hadn’t won in a long time. They’ve gotten all that out of the way. So, that’s probably the biggest challenge.”

These teams both feature veteran quarterbacks in LSU’s Garrett Nussmeier and Baylor’s Sawyer Robertson.

Nussmeier ranks second in the Southeastern Conference and sixth in the nation with 3,739 yards passing and his 26 TD passes are second in the SEC. In 13 career starts, he has thrown at least two touchdown passes nine times and thrown for more than 300 yards eight times, including seven this season.

He’s led the Tigers to a 9-4 record as a starter.

Robertson leads the Big 12 with an 83.9 quarterback rating that ranks sixth in the nation. He started his career with the late coach Mike Leach at Mississippi State before transferring to Baylor last season.

He has thrown for a career-high 2,626 yards with 26 touchdowns and seven interceptions this season.

LSU will be without several top players Tuesday after tight end Mason Taylor, receiver Kyren Lacy and tackles Will Campbell and Emery Jones opted out as they prepare for the NFL draft.

Taylor, the son of NFL Hall of Fame Jason Taylor, had 55 receptions for a career-high 546 yards and two touchdowns as a junior before declaring for the draft earlier this month.

Lacy led the Tigers with 866 yards receiving and nine touchdowns and ends his career with 2,360 yards receiving.

Baylor receiver Josh Cameron leads the team with nine touchdown receptions this season, which ranks 11th in school history. His 44 receptions for 643 yards also lead the team and are both career highs.

The performance comes after he didn’t score a touchdown in his first two seasons.

Cameron is also the team’s punt returner, and he ranks second in the country by averaging 20.7 yards per return.

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FILE - LSU quarterback Garrett Nussmeier (13) passes in the first half of an NCAA college football game against Vanderbilt in Baton Rouge, La., Saturday, Nov. 23, 2024. (AP Photo/Gerald Herbert, File)

FILE - Baylor head coach Dave Aranda watches his team warm up before an NCAA college football game against Iowa State, Saturday, Oct. 5, 2024, in Ames, Iowa. (AP Photo/Charlie Neibergall, File)