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New York Times
3 days ago
- Sport
- New York Times
Braves takeaways: Acuña can't carry offense alone, team stuck in rut, plans for Fuentes?
NEW YORK — With Ronald Acuña Jr. getting on base at least twice nightly for the previous 15 games, the Braves' offense was at least middling and sometimes more. But when Acuña didn't reach base Thursday, it was a reminder of how bad Atlanta's offense was before one of baseball's most dynamic players came off the injured list just over a month ago. Advertisement The Braves mustered three singles and nothing else — not even a walk — in a 4-0 loss to the New York Mets, who lost their starting pitcher to injury in the third inning and kept mowing down Braves hitters anyway. The vibe after this loss? 'Nobody's happy. I mean, it's not good,' said manager Brian Snitker, whose Braves slipped back to six games under .500 (37-43) on the eve of the season's halfway point. 'You're not happy with something like this. We couldn't get anything going offensively.' The mood wasn't good because neither was the offense. Again. It's a top-heavy lineup with several holes, subpar even with the marvelous Acuña. Only he, Matt Olson and rookie catcher Drake Baldwin, when he's in the lineup, have been doing much of anything. '(Acuña) is one of those guys that when he goes, we go,' Snitker said. 'But (him not reaching base) is going to happen, too. My God, he's doing great. We need to be better in the middle (of the lineup).' The Mets lost 10 of 11 before winning the last two in this four-game series, but they are back in first place in the National League East and have a gaping 10-game lead over the third-place Braves. The fact that Atlanta went 5-2 against the Mets in 10 days was no solace, especially since the Braves lost a series at Miami in between. 'We needed to go 7-0 against, quite honestly,' Snitker said. 'We're trying to dig out of a hole and we're trying to catch people, and we've got to win every series we play.' The Mets have a half-game division lead over the Philadelphia Phillies, who come to Atlanta for a three-game series that starts Friday. And the Braves? They're stuck in a rut, eighth place in the NL wild-card standings and seven games behind the San Diego Padres, who would have the third and final wild-card spot if the postseason began today. Advertisement Mets starter Griffin Canning retired eight of nine Braves before exiting with an apparent torn Achilles. Undistinguished Austin Warren then limited the Braves to one hit in 2 1/3 innings in his second MLB appearance of the season, and Dedniel Núñez entered with a 4.50 ERA and pitched two perfect innings with four strikeouts. It was that kind of night for the Braves. It's that kind of season. They are in the middle to bottom third of MLB in most offensive categories. With runners in scoring position, they rank 23rd with a .697 OPS. 'To be able to (face) a bullpen for, what was it, six innings? You want to be able to do a little more,' said Olson, who extended his on-base streak to 27 games with a ninth-inning single off Edwin Díaz. 'We clearly couldn't get anything going.' One day after Acuña became the first player to commit to the Home Run Derby at next month's All-Star Game in Atlanta, the Braves star moved up to third among NL outfielders in the first phase of All-Star fan voting. .@ronaldacunajr24 is moving on to Phase 2 of the All-Star Ballot! 🌟 Voting begins Monday at noon. 🗳️: — Atlanta Braves (@Braves) June 26, 2025 Voting begins anew for the second phase to determine position-player starters, but if Acuña were to finish third or higher in that round, he'll be a fan-elected starter for the fifth time, which would tie Braves icons Hank Aaron and Dale Murphy for most in franchise history. What separates Acuña is that it would be his fifth time elected in five full MLB seasons. He's in his eighth season with the Braves, but wasn't brought up for his debut until one month into the 2018 season. There was no All-Star Game in the pandemic-shortened 2020 season. Acuña was voted to start in 2019, 2021, 2022 and 2023, though he couldn't play in 2021 after tearing the ACL in his right knee days before the All-Star game. He tore the ACL in his right knee last season on May 26 and began this season on the injured list. Advertisement Since being activated May 23, Acuña has hit .369 with nine homers, 18 RBIs and a 1.143 OPS in 31 games. He reached base via hit or walk at least twice in 15 straight games before going 0-for-4 Thursday, the fourth-longest such streak by a Brave in more than a century, topped by Deion Sanders (16 games in 1994) and Hall-of-Famers Rogers Hornsby (17 in 1928) and Eddie Mathews (16 in 1962). Acuña had a .603 OBP during the streak. Marcell Ozuna was the Braves' most consistently productive hitter during 2023-2024 and second-best DH in baseball in that span behind Shohei Ohtani, who won an MVP award in each league in those years. Through Ozuna's first 30 games this season, his production remained elite despite a hip ailment. His .287 average and .922 OPS through those 30 games — the team's first 33 games — was in line with his .289 and .916 OPS over the previous two seasons. However, Ozuna inflated that OPS more with walks than long balls in that span, posting just five homers and 12 RBIs (with 29 walks) through his first 30 games after totaling 79 homers and 204 RBIs in the previous two seasons. Since then, the hits and walks have slowed, and the power numbers remain well below his usual. Ozuna hit .224 with six homers and a .700 OPS in his past 46 games before Thursday and said two weeks ago his hip was no longer an issue. He just wasn't hitting. He had a homer robbed in the first inning Wednesday on a leaping catch by center fielder Jeff McNeil, and Ozuna has one homer and five extra-base hits in his past 22 games. He does have 15 RBIs in that span, four coming on a three-run homer and sacrifice fly in a 12-4 rout of the Colorado Rockies on June 13. Snitker was asked if Ozuna has shown any signs of getting going. 'I don't think any of us are hitting, other than Ronald and Matt right now,' Snitker said. 'The rest of them — we're trying to get everybody going. So you kind of look and find some positives in there. Just keep waiting for us to— you know, we're gonna go on a roll at some point in time. I just hope it'll be sooner than later.' Advertisement One encouraging sign from Ozuna: He singled with one out in the fourth inning Thursday and raced to second base on an error on the play, his stride as smooth and fast as it's been in quite some time. But as is often the case with the Braves, he was stranded when Austin Riley grounded out and Sean Murphy struck out. After Didier Fuentes gave up eight hits and six runs in 3 1/3 innings of his second major-league start Wednesday, many expected the 20-year-old and his 10.80 ERA to be optioned to Triple-A Gwinnett to make room for a fresh bullpen arm. The Braves instead optioned left-hander Austin Cox and recalled righty Michael Peterson. Does that mean Fuentes will be kept around for another start? 'As far as I know right now, yeah,' Snitker said. But when asked later about Fuentes getting to make a start in the homestand that begins Friday — his first two were at Miami and New York — Snitker said, 'Well, it's not up to me, really. I mean, if he's still here, then I'm thinking he's gonna be making the next one.' While the Braves did not indicate there were any other plans, Jackson Stephens pitched five scoreless innings of one-hit ball Thursday for Gwinnett, after working four hitless and scoreless innings in his previous start. If the Braves wanted to bring up Stephens to fill the rotation spot that Fuentes has filled twice since Chris Sale went on the IL with a rib-cage fracture, the schedule would work favorably since there's an off day Monday before a home series against the Los Angeles Angels. Whatever they do with Fuentes in the immediate future, Snitker and the Braves have been impressed with the maturity and ability of the Colombian right-hander, who is the youngest player in the majors and had just six minor-league starts above the High-A level. Advertisement 'He does have stuff that'll play' in the majors, Snitker said. 'It's just the experience. He hasn't logged a whole lot of professional innings yet, so he's learning on the job. Seems like a bright kid and adaptable and coachable. So, we just hope he continues to learn and make adjustments like everybody has to.' (Top photo of Ronald Acuña Jr.: Dustin Satloff / Getty Images)
Reuters
21-06-2025
- Sport
- Reuters
Grant Holmes, Braves shut out Marlins to knot series
June 21 - Rookie Drake Baldwin had two hits, including a three-run home run, and Grant Holmes threw 5 2/3 scoreless innings to help the visiting Atlanta Braves post a 7-0 victory over the Miami Marlins on Saturday. Holmes (4-6) allowed five hits, walked five and struck out five for Atlanta, which has won eight of 11 following a seven-game losing streak to begin June. Ronald Acuna Jr. and Marcell Ozuna each tallied a pair of hits and an RBI as the Braves evened the three-game series. Eury Perez (0-2) allowed three runs on four hits across 4 2/3 innings, striking out six and walking two in his third start of the season. Eric Wagaman and Jesus Sanchez each recorded a double for the Marlins, who have lost three of four. After Acuna worked a four-pitch walk to open the game, Ozuna drove in the first run on a two-out RBI double to right. Atlanta doubled its lead in the fifth as Nick Allen singled and Acuna followed with a run-scoring double to left. Perez got Matt Olson to ground out, ending his start after 89 pitches. Lake Bachar came on in relief, allowing Austin Riley's RBI single that extended the Braves' lead to 3-0. Miami threatened in the bottom of the fifth as Dane Myers' one-out single and consecutive two-out walks by Xavier Edwards and Sanchez loaded the bases, but Holmes struck out Agustin Ramirez to end the inning. After issuing a two-out walk to Liam Hicks in the sixth, Holmes was relieved by Enyel De Los Santos, who retired Connor Norby on a groundout. The Braves tacked on a run in the eighth as singles by Baldwin and Eli White were followed by Michael Harris II's RBI groundout against reliever Josh Simpson, who was making his major league debut. The game was blown open in the ninth as Simpson walked Acuna and Ozuna before Baldwin connected on his eighth homer to extend Atlanta's lead to 7-0. --Field Level Media
Yahoo
06-06-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Braves React to Major Drake Baldwin News on Tuesday
Braves React to Major Drake Baldwin News on Tuesday originally appeared on Athlon Sports. June has arrived, and with it comes a fresh chapter in the 2025 MLB season. One team still trying to find its rhythm is the Atlanta Braves. Advertisement After dropping their second straight game on Tuesday, Atlanta slipped to fourth place in the National League East. The Braves are now 27-32, just four games ahead of last-place Miami. Still, amid a slow start, one young player continues to shine, catcher Drake Baldwin. On Tuesday afternoon, MLB announced that Baldwin had been named National League Rookie of the Month. The Atlanta Braves' social media account was quick to celebrate the news. "Your National League Rookie of the Month: Drake Baldwin!" they posted on X. Fans also congratulated Baldwin. "Drake Baldwin, future Braves hall of famer.." posted here Advertisement "RAKE Baldwin Get it right." said this fan Another fan said this: "Should be in the lineup as close to every day as possible." A fan has a message about Baldwin: "The legend continues to grow." "Braves got a stud on their hands! Congrats Drake." said here. Another excited fan: "Well deserved and earned!" Atlanta Braves catcher Drake Baldwin (30).Brett Davis-Imagn Images Baldwin marked the moment with a solo home run, his sixth of the season, during an 8-3 loss to Arizona. The blast came in the fourth inning, which turned out to be Atlanta's only scoring frame. Baldwin, 24, made his MLB debut on March 27. A Missouri State product, he was selected 96th overall by the Braves in the 2022 MLB Draft. Advertisement Through 36 games in 2025, Baldwin is slashing .321 with 34 hits, 15 RBIs, and those six home runs. He's quickly become one of the brightest spots in an otherwise inconsistent Braves lineup. Atlanta will host the Diamondbacks on Wednesday and wrap up the series on Thursday before hitting the road to face the San Francisco Giants over the weekend. Related: Shohei Ohtani Reacts to Dodgers' Max Muncy Announcement Related: Justin Turner Sends Clear Message After MLB Player's Retirement Decision This story was originally reported by Athlon Sports on Jun 4, 2025, where it first appeared.
New York Times
25-05-2025
- Sport
- New York Times
After homering (again), Ronald Acuña Jr. feels good about his knee and Braves' chances
ATLANTA — It's like the Atlanta Braves were trudging across a deserted wasteland, and Ronald Acuña Jr. arrived with a cool drink of water for the parched throats of the team and its fans. No, wait. He is that cool drink of water. Acuña homered Saturday for the second time in as many games since a year-long rehab from knee surgery, a two-run shot in the sixth inning of a 7-1 win against the San Diego Padres at sold-out Truist Park. Once again, Acuña got thunderous ovations when introduced and again as he rounded the bases on his tape-measure homer. Advertisement 'It's awesome. He does a lot for our club and our lineup as a whole,' said manager Brian Snitker, whose Braves also got three hits from rookie sensation Drake Baldwin and a homer from surging Matt Olson to snap a seven-game skid against the Padres dating back to October's wild-card series. After hitting a 467-foot homer on the first pitch of the opening inning in Friday's 2-1 loss, becoming the first player in MLB history to homer in his first game back after missing 150 or more games, Acuña homered again Saturday, sending another wave of euphoria through a packed ballpark and the Braves' dugout. Another day, another @ronaldacunajr24 highlight ✌️#BravesCountry — Atlanta Braves (@Braves) May 24, 2025 'Sometimes you're just born with it, and he definitely was,' Olson said. 'Yesterday, when he hit that first-pitch home run, it kind of gave me the chills,' said Braves pitcher Grant Holmes, who limited the Padres to one run and six hits in seven innings Saturday. 'I mean that home run (Friday), I feel it kind of jolted us a little bit. We didn't come out with a win, but I feel that kind of got us going a good bit. 'And he's just that type of guy that's going to continue providing those situations.' Snitker said of Acuña's three hits, two homers and strong defense in his first two games back, 'I'm glad that he's getting off the ground good, because that's tough when you haven't played in a year. I don't care how many at-bats you got in the minor leagues or how many (training) complex at-bats you got. This is a different animal up here with the people, the energy, the quality of play. So it's good that the kid could come back after that and hit the ground running.' Acuña struck out three times Saturday, but he's looked so good hitting and running — on the bases and in the outfield — that Snitker decided he would play Acuña in Sunday's series finale rather than give him a day off following his first consecutive games played since the ACL injury on May 26, 2024. Advertisement Acuña said through a translator, 'I feel good. It's been over a year since I've played, I don't know, three or four games in a row. But I'm feeling good and I think that's the most important thing.' The Braves snapped a three-game skid and got back within a game of .500. Even though they were eight games behind the National League East-leading Philadelphia Phillies and five behind the New York Mets before those teams' Saturday night games, the Braves felt a lot better about their position now with Acuña back. And he likes where they are, too. 'Yeah, I've always had a lot of confidence in this team,' Acuña said, 'and I feel like that's the last thing I'm gonna lose is confidence in the guys in this clubhouse. So, yeah, I feel really good about where we're at.' Snitker spoke earlier Saturday about getting the Braves' offense going, not just to finally beat the Padres but also to get back above .500 and to stop playing low-scoring, one-run games. Olson and Marcell Ozuna had been plenty productive in the Nos. 3-4 spots in the batting order during the past week, but few others had done much at all, Snitker noted. 'We just need a few more of them to get there,' Snitker said. 'These games are so tight that there's no room for any error at all. And if we could get a few more of those guys clicking, then it'd sure make it easier on everything.' Well, they've got another one clicking now. And it's an extremely talented one. Acuña is back. Man, is he back. The Braves are still just 2-12 in games against the Padres and Los Angeles Dodgers this season, including sweeps by both teams during Atlanta's 0-7 season-opening trip to Southern California. But it's worth noting they didn't have Acuña for any of the first 11 games against them, nor for the wild-card series sweep by the Padres in October. Advertisement They have him now. The Braves and Acuña took a conservative approach to his rehab this time, extending it over 12 months rather than the nine months he took to get back from his July 2021 ACL tear. They wanted to avoid the residual soreness that slowed him throughout 2022. So far, it's just what they hoped for. 'I'm proud and happy, and just feeling extremely grateful to be a part of an organization that I think just put so much time and effort and energy and care into my recovery process, and invested in me,' Acuña said. 'I'm feeling well, and I think it's helping me just to play daily. And hopefully we just keep going to the place that we're going, keep feeling good.' The Braves had a 3-1 lead Saturday before Acuña homered off right-handed reliever Alek Jacob, connecting with a 0-1 sweeper down and in and driving it to the left-center seats at 111 mph. Acuña doesn't hit fence-scrapers or lollipop homers. He hits dangerous projectiles. The homer Friday traveled 467 feet and left his bat at 115.5 mph, the longest- and hardest-hit ball by a Braves player this season. 'It's like what I always say about him: You can't ease your way into a game with Ronald,' Olson said. 'Last night, perfect example — first pitch, 115 for a homer. He's dynamic when he gets on the bases. The throw last night at second. He's just … he's an MVP. And it's good getting that kind of a guy back.' Not only did Acuña hit a homer in his first game back Friday, but he did it on the first pitch he saw from Nick Pivetta to lead off the first inning — and after calling his shot. Acuña said he told his brothers he was going to hit a first-pitch homer, and he also told some Braves teammates. 'He said it earlier, he predicted it,' said Ozuna, who was among the players Acuña said it to before Friday's game. 'First-pitch homer. He said it, then he did it.' Advertisement It was the 35th leadoff homer of Acuña's career. He went 2-for-4 at the plate and had some outstanding defensive plays Friday, including throwing out Elias Díaz trying to stretch a single to a double to start the eighth inning. 'Doesn't surprise me,' said Ozuna, who, when asked to rate Acuña as an outfielder, said, 'He's at the top.' Ask people around baseball to name the best defensive right fielders, and few if any are likely to name Acuña. They are more likely to name his right-field counterpart in this series, San Diego's Fernando Tatis Jr. Ozuna thinks he knows why. 'Because he doesn't show off like those other guys, like Tatis and all those guys,' Ozuna said of Acuña. 'He's the best. He's complete — one player, complete. He can do everything (at a 'plus' scouting level). Plus-plus. Three times plus. It's energy, speed, power. He's smart. He's matured now. 'Yeah, everything.' On the Díaz play Friday, Acuña raced to the corner to collect the ball, turned and fired a bullet of a throw from the warning track to second base on the fly. Shortstop Nick Allen caught it and made an athletic play to tag Díaz in one motion as he tried to slide inside the bag to avoid the tag. 'I was like, he's got a strong arm, so if he gets to that ball, there's going to be a shot,' Allen said of his thinking as he watched Acuña sprint to the corner. 'And he did. And then I was like, wow, we really do have a shot, because I felt the runner coming. And then he made a good, strong throw, and it was kind of leading me to the runner, but I was like, 'If I get trucked right now, it is what it is. But I'm going to catch this thing and tag him.' 'It was a perfect throw, and I went in, got the tag in quick. (Acuña) has got a cannon, for sure. He did a good job. He let it eat and made a strong, accurate throw.'
USA Today
22-05-2025
- Sport
- USA Today
Braves vs. Rockies Tickets, First Pitch Time for Sunday, June 15
Braves vs. Rockies Tickets, First Pitch Time for Sunday, June 15 The Atlanta Braves and Drake Baldwin will take on the Colorado Rockies and Jordan Beck on Sunday, June 15 at 1:35 p.m. ET (on FDSSO and COLR). Buy Braves Tickets on SeatGeek Buy Braves Tickets on StubHub Braves vs. Rockies Game Info Game day: Sunday, June 15, 2025 Sunday, June 15, 2025 Game time: 1:35 p.m. ET 1:35 p.m. ET TV channel: FDSSO and COLR FDSSO and COLR Live Stream: Watch LIVE with Fubo! (Regional restrictions may apply) Watch LIVE with Fubo! Location: Atlanta, Georgia Atlanta, Georgia Stadium: Truist Park Truist Park Braves Starter: TBA TBA Rockies Starter: TBA Braves vs. Rockies Tickets For Sale Braves vs. Rockies offensive insights The Braves have hit 51 homers this season, which ranks 17th in the league. Fueled by 126 extra-base hits, Atlanta ranks 14th in MLB with a .390 slugging percentage this season. The Braves have a team batting average of .246 this season, which ranks 13th among MLB teams. The Rockies are 25th in MLB play with 43 home runs. They average 0.9 per game. This season, Colorado's .363 slugging percentage is the fourth-lowest percentage in the majors. The Rockies have the third-worst batting average in the majors (.220). Watch MLB on Fubo Braves' top hitters Matt Olson's batting average this year is .240, and he has a .351 on-base percentage and a .457 slugging percentage. His strikeout rate is 23.1%, and his walk rate is 14.4%. He has 10 homers and 26 RBI, plus 27 runs scored. So far this season, Marcell Ozuna is hitting .266, with a .877 OPS (.416 on-base, .461 slugging). His strikeout rate is 21.3%, and his walk rate is 20.3%. He has eight home runs and 22 RBI, plus 22 runs scored. Austin Riley's current batting average is .283, and he has eight home runs and 28 RBI, plus 23 runs scored. He has a .333 on-base percentage, and a .444 slugging percentage. His strikeout rate is 27.2%, and his walk rate is 6.1%. Also for the Braves, Ozzie Albies' batting average is .225, with a .619 OPS (.284 on-base, .335 slugging). He has five homers and 17 RBI, plus 25 runs scored and five stolen bases on five attempts. His strikeout rate is 15.4%, and his walk rate is 7.2%. Rockies' top hitters Hunter Goodman has produced a batting average of .288 with an OPS of .819 (.339 OBP; .480 SLG) this season, while clubbing seven HRs with 24 runs and 31 RBI. He's walking at a 5.7% clip and striking out 23.4% of the time. In 149 plate appearances, Beck has produced a batting average of .259 with an OPS of .863 (.322 OBP; .541 SLG) this season, while belting eight dingers with 25 runs and 16 RBI. He's walking at an 8.1% clip and striking out 28.9% of the time. On the bases, he's pilfered five bags on seven attempts. So far this season, the Rockies' Ryan McMahon has a .206/.330/.364 triple slash line, and he's blasted six homers with 21 runs scored and 12 RBI. He's walking and striking out 15.2% and 31.5% of the time, respectively. At the dish, Brenton Doyle has crushed four bombs, driven in 18 runs, and scored 15 times while batting .211/.271/.329 in 166 plate appearances. He's also stolen five bags on five attempts. His strikeout rate is 23.5%, and his walk rate is 7.8%. Braves' injuries Ronald Acuna: 10 Day IL (Knee), Joe Jimenez: 60 Day IL (Knee), Ignacio Alvarez: 60 Day IL (Wrist), Reynaldo López: 60 Day IL (Shoulder) Rockies' injuries Chase Dollander: 15 Day IL (Forearm), Victor Vodnik: 15 Day IL (Shoulder), Ryan Feltner: 15 Day IL (Back), Austin Gomber: 60 Day IL (Shoulder), Thairo Estrada: 60 Day IL (Wrist), Kris Bryant: 60 Day IL (Lumbar), Jeff Criswell: 60 Day IL (Elbow) Buy Braves Tickets on SeatGeek Buy Braves Tickets on StubHub
