Braves' White laments 'terrible' baserunning mistake in 9th

Atlanta Braves outfielder Eli White said confusion led to his inexplicable gaffe on the basepaths in the ninth inning of Friday's loss to the San Diego Padres.

"It's just a terrible mistake in a huge situation," White said, according to Mark Bowman of MLB.com. "It's a tough one to swallow."

White, who was pinch running, represented the tying run at second base with one out but was thrown out returning to second after a single by Ozzie Albies.

Padres first baseman Luis Arraez threw White out after cutting off Jackson Merrill's throw home from the outfield.

"I saw it go over the second baseman's head, and I thought it was low, which ended up being a good read," White said. "I just didn't trust it for whatever reason. I just got confused."

The blunder overshadowed a monumental season debut for Braves star outfielder Ronald Acuña Jr. The 2023 NL MVP had a pair of hits, including a leadoff homer on the first pitch he saw in almost a year after recovering from his second ACL injury.