Atlanta Braves at Milwaukee Brewers

WILLIAMSPORT, Pa. -- Long before Michael Harris II stepped into the batter’s box in the ninth inning at historic Bowman Field, a group of 12-year-olds in the stands had already given him his directive for the night: "Hit a home run." "They said it before every at-bat, and I let them down," Harris joked postgame. "So eventually I had to do it, and I'm glad it happened at that time." Harris delivered in the top of the ninth, driving an 83.6 mph slider from Brewers reliever Aaron Ashby into the right-field seats for a solo shot to extend Atlanta’s lead. His 21st homer of the season provided just enough cushion for the Braves to close out a 4-2 victory over Milwaukee in the MLB Little League Classic on Sunday night. For Atlanta, the national showcase offered far more than just a notch in the win column -- it served as a welcome breath of fresh air as the team enters the final stretch of the regular season, a timely reminder to the players when it comes to why they fell in love with baseball in the first place. "I thought it was crazy. I think it's a good event for everybody involved," Braves manager Walt Weiss said. "I think it's a reminder for the big leaguers why they started playing the game. The stakes are high, the pressure's high. Sometimes you need those reminders of why you started to play the game. I think today is a perfect example of that."