ATLANTA — July 18, 2025
Backed by a roaring Friday night crowd at Truist Park, the Braves played one of their most complete games of the season — blanking the Yankees for six innings, jumping ahead early, and delivering a fireworks show on both sides. Spencer Strider was locked in, Ozzie Albies delivered the dagger, and Ronald Acuña Jr. reminded everyone why running on him is a terrible idea.
Strider Silences New York
Spencer Strider was in full command from the jump, carving through the Yankees lineup with six shutout innings. He struck out eight, walked none, and held New York to just three singles while throwing 70% of his pitches for strikes. It was a statement outing for the right-hander, who lowered his ERA to 3.59 and picked up his fourth win of the year.
Strider didn’t just overpower the Yankees; he outthought them, mixing high-spin fastballs with wipeout sliders and seemingly hitting every spot. He dropped the occasional curveball when absolutely nobody expected it. See Exhibit A below of Aaron Judge whiffing on the curveball below.
Acuña’s Rocket Arm Turns Two
With two on and one out in the third, Cody Bellinger lofted a fly ball to right. Jorbit Vivas tried to tag and take third. Bad idea.
Ronald Acuña Jr. charged, gathered, and launched a laser to Nacho Alvarez Jr. at third, who applied the tag for a momentum-killing double play. It was Acuña’s seventh outfield assist of the season. And that, sports fans, will be played on highlights for years to come!
Credit to Nacho Alavarez on the play too, as he saw the mental lapse by Jorbit Vivas. The Yankees’ rookie clearly didn’t know about Acuna’s arm. The legend had not reached him. He found out in person. Nacho noticed the lazy jog into third and gave no indication that a laser beam was heading straight for his glove. Re-watch the play and enjoy the Braves’ rookie taking advantage of a Yankees’ rookie mistake.
Atlanta’s Bats Strike Fast and Loud
The Braves wasted no time pouncing on Yankees starter Ian Hamilton. After Jurickson Profar and Matt Olson set the tone with hits, Acuña drove in Olson with a double of his own. Albies followed with a sac fly to make it 3–0 before New York had their second at-bat.
Kudos to Snit
Acuna and Profar have looked good in their new spots in the lineup. Profar has claimed the leadoff spot, moving Acuna to the three-hole. Acuna has one of the most thunderous bats in all of baseball, and I love seeing two great on-base guys in front of him. It’s added a spark to the lineup that was much needed.
I’m not just patting Snit on the back because he clearly read my article from before Profar returned.
In the third, Atlanta blew it open. Baldwin singled, Murphy doubled, and Albies unloaded on a 3-run homer into the Chop House, his 8th of the season. By the time the dust settled, it was 6–0 Braves.
Acuña wasn’t done. In the fourth, he tripled off the wall, his first triple of the season, and scored on Baldwin’s RBI single to make it 7–0.
It was great to see Acuna with two extreme hustle extra-base hits in the game. He turned a single into a double and turned a double into a triple. I bet Snit would say something like, “he was playing with his hair on fire.”
But he would pronounce “fire” as “fahrrr.”
Lee Shuts the Door on a Yankee Rally
Aaron Bummer gave up three runs in the seventh, including a two-run double to Giancarlo Stanton and an RBI single to Bellinger. With the tying run looming, Brian Snitker called on Dylan Lee.
And just like he did in the Mets series when he struck out Juan Soto with the game on the line, Lee delivered again, punching Aaron Judge on a filthy fastball to end the threat. Lee’s ERA now sits at 2.53, and his strikeout rate continues to climb among the league’s top lefty relievers.
Read more about the Dominance of Dylan Lee.
Fried Receives Ovation
Between innings, Braves fans rose to their feet to welcome back Max Fried, who was honored on the field as he neared his return from yet another blister. The ovation was loud, emotional, and well-deserved. Braves fans were happy to see Fried in the dugout and not pitching for the Yankees.
Iglesias Locks It Down
Pierce Johnson handled the 8th with ease, lowering his ERA to 2.60. Raisel Iglesias pitched a clean 9th, sealing the win with a strikeout and a popout in foul territory that was upheld after a brief Yankees challenge. Iggy has been much better as of late, putting early-season struggles behind him. His ERA has dropped all the way down to 4.30 on the season.
Both relievers are putting themselves in a good position to be traded at the deadline should the Braves start selling.
Final Score: Braves 7, Yankees 3
| R | H | E | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Yankees | 3 | 8 | 1 |
| Braves | 7 | 9 | 0 |
Notables
- Spencer Strider: 6 IP, 3 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 8 K (W, 4–7)
- Ronald Acuña Jr.: 3-for-4, 2B, 3B, RBI, run, outfield assist
- Ozzie Albies: 3-run HR (8), 4 RBI total
- Drake Baldwin: 2-for-4, 2 RBI
- Dylan Lee: Inherited 2 runners, stranded both, K’d Aaron Judge
The Braves improve to 44–53.
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