Jason Isbell threw out the first pitch ahead of last night’s Atlanta Braves’ game against the Philadelphia Phillies at Truist Park in Atlanta, Georgia. It was the second game of the National League Division Series, and the importance of that was not lost on Isbell, a longtime Braves fan who was honored to be tapped for the occasion.
Isbell shared footage of his pitch on X (the platform formerly known as Twitter) and said that he threw “A Rob Drake strike,” alluding to the controversial Major League Baseball umpire.
Though he grew up in northern Alabama, Isbell regularly watched Braves games on TV with his grandparents in the 1990s and turned into a lifetime fan in the years that followed. Braves great Dale Murphy wished Isbell good luck on social media before the musician took the field. For the ceremonial first pitch, Isbell threw the ball to Braves pitcher Charlie Morton. The Braves went on to win the game, beating the Phillies 5-4 following an impressive double play to close out the ninth inning.
Last week, Isbell helped usher in the return of late-night television after the months-long Writers Guild of America strike ended, playing on Jimmy Kimmel Live! with his band the 400 Unit. Back in June, he and his band released Weathervanes.
Read about Jason Isbell’s “Cover Me Up” in “The Story of Outlaw Country in 33 Songs.”
ATLANTA, GA – OCTOBER 09: Singer-songwriter Jason Isbell throws the ceremonial first pitch prior to Game 2 of the Division Series between the Philadelphia Phillies and the Atlanta Braves at Truist Park on Monday, October 9, 2023 in Atlanta, Georgia. (Photo by Mary DeCicco/MLB Photos via Getty Images)