Braves win Game One of the NLDS series 9-5
The Miami Marlins do not like Ronald Acuna, Jr. And the Atlanta Braves take exception to that, as they don’t like manager Don Mattingly and the entire Miami team.
And that anger, hatred or whatever it is may have pushed the Braves over the edge Tuesday in game one of the National League Division Series.
Acuna led off the bottom of the first with a long solo home run to give Atlanta a 1-0 lead. Then in Acuna’s next at bat, Miami starter Sandy Alcantara hit Acuna with a 97-mph fastball. Acuna has been hit time-and-time again by Jose Urena and other Marlins’ starters, and he’s a bit tired of it.
There was no altercation. Acuna was ticked, and he showed it with some glares into the Miami dugout. But Acuna kept calm and went to first base.
You could tell it really made the Braves angry. The Marlins scored one run in the second and three in the third to take a 4-1 lead. Atlanta bounced back with two runs in third inning to make it 4-3.
But as the Braves always do, they struck late. Atlanta scored six runs in the seventh inning to take a commanding 9-4 lead and went on to win 9-5.
Miami chased Atlanta starter Max Fried early, as Fried’s breaking ball was not as effective as usual. Miguel Rojas homered in the second inning to tie the game 1-1. Then Garrett Cooper doubled in two runs and Brian Anderson singled in Cooper to make the score 4-1.
Braves manager Brian Snitker took Fried out and went to his bullpen, which is one of the best in the sport. Darren O’Day pitched a scoreless fifth inning. Then Tyler Matzek threw gas and struck out the side in the sixth inning. Will Smith was outstanding again in a perfect seventh inning. Chris Martin gave up one run in the eighth inning, but Mark Melancon ended the game with a scoreless ninth inning.
The great work by the Atlanta bullpen allowed the Braves to do what it does best – score late. They started the seventh inning with consecutive singles from Austin Riley and then Acuna. Freddie Freeman then hit into a force out, as Acuna was out at second putting runners on the corners.
Then Marcell Ozuna, who led the National League in runs batted in this season, singled home Riley to tie the game 4-4. The Braves then got their bomb, as catcher Travis d’Arnaud hit a long three-run home run to center field to make it 7-4.
Dansby Swanson added a two-run shot later in the inning to give the Braves a comfortable five-run lead.
The Marlins poked the bear when they hit Acuna. It seemed to fire the Braves up, even if it took a few innings for the fireworks to start popping out of the ballpark.
The Braves lead the series 1-0. Game two is Wednesday at 2:08 p.m. ET. Rookie Ian Anderson will pitch for the Braves, while Pablo Lopez goes for the Marlins.
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