We didn’t include this in our top 10 storylines to follow during the second half of the season, but perhaps should have. When was Nick Markakis finally going to hit a home run for the Atlanta Braves?
Going into Monday’s play, the 31-year-old right fielder had gone 393 plate appearances without hitting a home run. Dating back to last year’s postseason, that was nearly a nine-month span (which, of course, includes the offseason and spring training) during which a Markakis fly ball did not reach the seats. The Braves signed Markakis with the idea of getting a player who made more contact and struck out less at the cost of some power, but this was really pushing the concept far.
But worry no longer. Markakis finally eliminated that zero in the home run column for 2015. In the first inning of Atlanta’s game versus the Dodgers, he broke through. And this was no cheapie. Markakis drove the ball to dead center field off former Brave Brandon Beachy for a two-run shot.
#Braves Markakis had majors-leading 393 homerless plate appearances this season before that one, his 1st HR since div. series vs. Verlander
— David O’Brien (@DOBrienAJC) July 20, 2015
Just in case you don’t believe it happened, here’s video proof of Markakis’ home run.
Markakis hit seven homers in the second half last year. Can he match that pace this season? (His total of 14 homers last year is probably out of reach.) At the very least, he no longer has to be the lone Braves everyday player who hadn’t slugged a home run in 2015.
