Waldrep was called up from Triple-A Gwinnett, then pitched 5 2\/3 innings for Atlanta in the Braves’ 4-2 win over Cincinnati .<\/p>\n
BRISTOL, Tenn. \u2014 Before Hurston Waldrep earned his first major league win by pitching at a NASCAR venue, it was only fair that his day included a lengthy drive.<\/p>\n
Waldrep was called up from Triple-A Gwinnett<\/a>, then pitched 5 2\/3 innings for Atlanta in the Braves’ 4-2 win<\/a> over Cincinnati in the rain-delayed\u00a0MLB Speedway Classic<\/a> at Bristol Motor Speedway. The game started Saturday but\u00a0was suspended<\/a> in the first inning because of rain. Waldrep was told that night he’d be pitching Sunday \u2014 and to expect a car service early in the morning.<\/p>\n \u201cWake up at 4:45, got in the car a little after 5, drove here with my girlfriend. Got here 9:45 or so. Everything since then, it\u2019s been nonstop,” Waldrep said. \u201cDidn\u2019t really have time to sit here and think about how it all happened. Nonetheless, grateful for it, happy to be here. It\u2019s been an unbelievable day.\u201d<\/p>\n Hurston Waldrep was scheduled to pitch in Triple-A today. But after a late-night call last night, he headed to Bristol and pitched a solid game for the @Braves<\/a>! \ud83d\udc4f pic.twitter.com\/qzT0CZTNHU<\/a><\/p>\n \u2014 FOX Sports: MLB (@MLBONFOX) August 3, 2025<\/a><\/p>\n It’s about 250 miles from Gwinnett County, Georgia, to Bristol \u2014 which would be over 450 laps around the track at Bristol Motor Speedway. Waldrep said he tried to sleep on the ride up, but that wasn’t easy. Since he didn’t arrive until Sunday, he missed the fanfare of the previous day, but he was there for most of the baseball.<\/p>\n \u201cIt was really breathtaking to walk out, see how they set everything up, see the field, and just hearing from the players how last night went,” he said. “It was all around just awesome.\u201d<\/p>\n Waldrep made his big league debut in 2024, starting two games for the Braves. This was his first big league appearance this year. The 23-year-old right-hander allowed a run and three hits.<\/p>\n \u201cAfter I took him out, I was like, \u2019Everything we put you through today you\u2019ve done your job,’\u201d manager Brian Snitker said. “He\u2019s made a lot of strides. I think his time in Triple-A has been really really good for him.\u201d<\/p>\n Waldrep’s name \u2014 evocative of NASCAR legend Darrell Waltrip \u2014 also was fitting for the day.<\/p>\n Waldrep dealing in the house of Waltrip \ud83c\udfc1#SpeedwayClassic<\/a> pic.twitter.com\/oeklkMcdOe<\/a><\/p>\n \u2014 Atlanta Braves (@Braves) August 3, 2025<\/a><\/p>\n For breaking live coverage and news conferences you can download 11Alive+, available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week on\u00a0Roku, Apple TV and Amazon Fire TV<\/a>.<\/p>\n Copyright 2025 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. \u00a0 \u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n