The first time Gabe Kapler brought Hoby Milner into a game, it was the sixth inning of Aaron Nola’s start on Opening Day. Nola had thrown 68 pitches, and the offense had stacked a 5-0 lead over the Braves in Atlanta, but Kapler didn’t like the numbers he saw with Nola about to face the Atlanta lineup for the third time. So he brought in Milner, and in doing so, unlocked the dormant Braves offense that would go on to win the NL East.
“Once they took [Nola] out, it was kind of a jolt for us,” [Freddie] Freeman said.