ATLANTA — Powered by Ronald Acuña Jr.’s pair of home runs—one of which got an unexpected boost from Miami’s outfielders—and a deep drive by Matt Olson, the Atlanta Braves dismantled the Marlins 11-3 to finish off a three-game series sweep on Thursday evening.
This victory pushed Atlanta’s peak winning streak of the season to eight games, keeping their run of dominant pitching alive despite a weather delay. Southpaw Martín Pérez joined forces with five bullpen arms, featuring Víctor Mederos (2-0), to limit the opposition to just seven hits.
In the third frame, Marlins outfielders Esteury Ruiz in center and Heriberto Hernández in left accidentally teamed up to knock Acuña’s fly ball off Janson Junk (5-7) over the left-center field wall. Their gloves crashed together during a collision right at the wall.
Acuña hesitated at first base and Hernández searched the ground, with both players initially unaware that the tipped ball had actually cleared the barrier. Later, Matt Olson’s 32nd home run of the year ignited a four-run sixth inning off southpaw John King, before Acuña launched his 11th homer of the season in the eighth.
According to data from ESPN Research, this marked the second game this year where Acuña recorded multiple home runs, and his first since May 30.
After starting in the field for the opening 114 games, second baseman Ozzie Albies got some rest before entering the lineup as the designated hitter in the sixth. Manager Walt Weiss admitted that Albies was reluctant to take the night off.
“Once he deleted me from his holiday card list, he came around,” Weiss joked. “I really had to persuade him to sit this one out.”
Making his initial start of the campaign at second base, Mauricio Dubón collected four hits and brought home two runs. Meanwhile, Michael Harris II chipped in with three hits, which included a pair of doubles.
Pérez held the opposition hitless, allowing only one walk over three frames, prior to a weather interruption that lasted one hour and 24 minutes.
This article contains details provided by The Associated Press.
