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Austin Barnes provided fireworks for Dodgers fans in their most recent outing against the Brewers. The utility player gave his team the lead with a home run in his final at-bat.
The homer would prove to be the winning run as Los Angeles beat Milwaukee, 1-0. Commentator Nomar Garciaparra said that Barnes would leave the yard in the pregame show, and he lost it when his prediction came true.
Entering Thursday night’s contest, Barnes hadn’t hit a home run all season. In what’s been a down year, the infielder is hitting just .136 through 125 at-bats.
His .216 on-base percentage is the worst of his nine-year career as he takes a back seat to other players on the roster.
Thursday, though, he got the start, and Garciaparra predicted that he’d break out of the season-long slump.
“I’m going with Austin Barnes,” Garciaparra said when asked who he believed would hit a homer. “He hasn’t had one, but today, Austin Barnes goes deep. He hits one out.”
Nomar Garciaparra predicted Austin Barnes’ home run 🤯 pic.twitter.com/tB1XCsj5OZ
— betr baseball ⚾️ (@betrbaseball) August 18, 2023
Garciaparra went crazy on the set after Barnes’ game-winning shot. Fingers guns were flying as he celebrated his correct prediction and a Dodgers win.
Fans on social media were quick to note that hilarious reaction.
Nomar Garciaparra has always been my dad’s favorite baseball player and his reaction to Austin Barnes’ home run has convinced me pic.twitter.com/zqRwvjlpre
— Danielle Gutierrez (@dmariegutierrez) August 18, 2023
Dad mode, engaged.
Nomar Garciaparra Dad pic.twitter.com/ajZayArMAK
— Mad Choriyama (@MadChoriyama) August 18, 2023
The home run was actually Barnes’ second hit of the day as he hopes to get hot before playoff time. After the win, Los Angeles improved to 74-46, now 10.5 games up of San Francisco in the NL West.
We’ll see if Nomar Garciaparra’s prediction removed the hex that’s been haunting Barnes this year. The Dodgers might just need him to make a deep run come October.