Acuña Jr. and Harris II Guide the Braves to Victory
Cincinnati – Ronald Acuña Jr. once again demonstrated his offensive ability, hitting a home run that propelled the Atlanta Braves to an 8-3 victory over the Cincinnati Reds in the start of the series at Great American Ball Park.
The Venezuelan gardener started the game with an impressive home run, sending the ball to the stands in left-center field with a curve from pitcher Chris Paddack.
This was the fourth home run of the season for Acuña Jr., with a distance of 429 feet and an exit velocity of 113 miles per hour, continuing his good offensive form after a grand slam in the previous game.
Michael Harris II was also key in Atlanta’s offense, batting 3-5 with three RBIs, leading the attack for the Braves, who achieved their 39th win of the season.
Atlanta took an early 4-0 lead in the early innings, although Cincinnati responded with solo home runs from JJ Bleday and Nathaniel Lowe, closing the gap in the score.
Starting pitcher Grant Holmes pitched 4.2 innings, allowing three runs and seven hits. Didier Fuentes earned the win in relief, dominating a dangerous situation in the fifth inning.
Fuentes struck out Venezuelan Eugenio Suárez to maintain Atlanta’s lead, improving his ERA to 0.96.
The Braves secured the victory with a four-run rally in the sixth inning, with offensive contributions from Mike Yastrzemski and the Dominican Jorge Mateo.
By Cincinnati, the Dominican Yunior Marte reappeared in the Major Leagues after being called up to the team due to Graham Ashcraft’s injury.
