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Braves ride Travis d'Arnaud power surge to win vs. D-backs
Atlanta Braves catcher Travis d'Arnaud Mady Mertens-USA TODAY Sports

Braves use fourth Travis d'Arnaud homer in two games to win series vs. Rangers

Travis d'Arnaud might just be the hottest player in Major League Baseball at the moment. 

After hitting three home runs on Friday night – including a grand slam – d'Arnaud issued the knockout blow against the Rangers for the second consecutive night on Saturday, slamming a two-run long ball in the bottom of the eighth inning.

The home run gave Atlanta a 5-2 lead that it would hold onto for the rest of the game. 41,744 rowdy fans roared as Raisel Iglesias closed out the ninth inning. With the win, Atlanta took the series and won their sixth straight game.

The Rangers seem to be playing more against d'Arnaud than the rest of the Braves, as the 35 year-old catcher accrued two walks and was hit by a pitch before hitting Saturday's home run. Of d'Arnaud's eight plate appearances in the series, he has reached base seven times, only being retired on a groundout in the eighth inning of Friday's game. 

Braves starter Charlie Morton played his part in Saturday's win, throwing six innings of two-run ball and giving up just four hits. As it has been for much of the young season, Atlanta's bullpen was staunch in nature, with Joe Jimenez, AJ Minter and Iglesias all throwing scoreless inning while giving up just one hit between the three of them. 

With six straight victories secured, Atlanta seems to have overcome it's uncharacteristic "slow" start to the year, when an 8-5 record brought more questions than answers. 

However, Marcell Ozuna's clutch home run in the ninth vs. the Marlins last Sunday has seemingly reinvigorated a Braves ballclub that has the potential to go on a tear at any moment. Regardless of the outcome of Sunday's game, Atlanta is back on track and looking like the World Series contender everyone thought they would be. 

There is one major question going around Atlanta after Saturday's game, however: Who thought it'd be a 35 year-old catcher who would pop off against the defending MLB champs and propel the Braves to a series win?

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