The Braves returned to Truist Park for their first homestand of the season, and it was an opener that will not be forgotten.
The Braves crushed the Phillies in game one of the series 8-1 and held onto a 5-4 series victory in game two. Freddie Freeman and Ronald Acuna combined for over 10 hits and five runs in the first two games.
Atlanta took the series from the Phillies and exacted some revenge from the opening series in Philadelphia. However, that’s where the good news ends for the Bravos. They won the series over Philly, but a controversial call at the plate ended their hopes at a sweep and getting to .500 on the season.
Injuries decimated the Braves during their inaugural homestand. After having his worst career start, Max Fried injured his hamstring running the bases. He’s currently on the 10-day IL along with phenom Christian Pache, who sprained his groin against Miami.
Bad news for the Braves manager continued against the Miami Marlins in a four-game series in Truist Park. The Marlins bullpen held the Braves offense hitless through the first three games of the series. The Marlins outlasted the Braves in game one in a 5-3 victory Monday night.
Former Brave Adam Duval returned and wreaked havoc on the Braves in game two. Duval batted in seven runs in a 14-8 rout of the Braves on Tuesday. Marlins’ young phenom Jazz Chizzlom showed his skills at the plate and in the field.
Ronald Acuña dominated en route to Player of the Week honors.
Ronald Acuña Jr. has gone supernova. Returning to Truist Park seemed to put the wind in his sails as he treated the home crowd to an eight-day stretch of heroics; he started too hot at the beginning of the doubleheader versus the Nationals and really caught fire at home.
It all started on 4/9 with a bass-boosted 465 ft two-run home run off Phillies pitcher Zack Wheeler to give the Braves a 2-1 lead. He followed that up with a spectacular catch to rob Alec Bohm of extra bases and preserve Charlie Mortin’s lead.
Acuña was 4-5 with two doubled and an infield hit that was pure determination by the young star. So how did he follow up game one of the homestand?
A 2-4 day in game two, scoring a run, then 3-4 day with another home run and two singles, with another infield single too.
Then, Acuña saw the Miami Marlins for four games. The Marlin killer took full advantage.
In the first game, a 5-3 Braves win, Acuna walked multiple times and tripled. He displayed great base-running after an amazing tag-up from third base on a pop fly from Albies and two more walks.
The Braves as a whole struggled in the second game, giving up 14 runs and losing by six. The third game saw Acuña homer twice and double in a 6-5 loss, and then he followed that up with another home run in Thursday’s series finale, in which the Braves won 7-6.
Acuña, the National League Player of the Week, was a one man-machine, lifting the Braves come rain or shine, with a struggling offense, at least there is the superstar that is Ronald Acuña Jr.
