Truist Park – Atlanta, GA. Ronald Acuña Jr. ignored the stop sign by third base coach Fredi Gonzalez and trusted his own instincts since he knows what it is like to be superhuman better than any third party’s assessment. Acuna sparked a Monday night for a Braves team that appears to be too far out of Wild Card contention to be buyers at this year’s trade deadline.
Last night’s win was another fun one for Atlanta since the start of the second half. The offense has finally started to show signs of life, and the boys have been fun to watch.
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Acuña Uses Superpowers
With two surgically repaired knees behind him, Acuña created madness in the fourth inning, when he scored from first base on a Drake Baldwin GROUNDBALL single to right-center. Acuña watched the ball bounce lazily into the outfield grass as he began rounding second base. He noted how far back Jung Hoo Lee was in center and decided (as he rounded second) that he would be scoring on the play.
As the former MVP rounded third, Lee was casually tossing the ball into second base, because why would anyone try to score in that situation? Most people don’t possess the superpowers necessary to score in that situation. Acuña never broke stride as Fredi Gonzalez threw up the stop sign. RAJ couldn’t see Gonzalez because he was too busy looking into the future…it’s one of his superpowers.
“He’s got the retro rockets,” manager Brian Snitker said. “He’s got another gear.”
Lee opted for the safe throw to second. Acuña slid home headfirst, 10.03 seconds after taking off from first, ahead of Patrick Bailey’s tag, and just in time to cap a week filled with Acuña heroics: a cannon throw on Friday, a 456-foot bomb on Sunday, and now, an elite burst few on Earth could replicate.
Offense Comes Alive Behind Baldwin’s 6-RBI Night
The Braves backed Acuña’s audacity with a balanced night at the plate. Rookie DH Drake Baldwin delivered a career-high 6 RBIs on three hits, including a two-run double in the first and a bases-clearing single in the seventh that sealed the deal. Baldwin is now hitting .290 on the season.
Ozzie Albies added a two-out RBI walk, and Nick Allen drove in two with a single that padded the lead in the seventh. The Braves drew nine walks on the night and went 5-for-11 with runners in scoring position. That sort of timely hitting has been sorely missed during their 2025 season.
Albies continues to swing a hot bat since the All-Star break, going 1-2 with two walks on the night. Jurickson Profar worked two walks out of the leadoff spot, and Matt Olson reached base twice with one walk, one hit, and two runs scored.
Marcell Ozuna did not play again.
Bryce Elder Battles Through Five
Bryce Elder (W, 4–6) earned the win with five innings of three-run ball, dancing around traffic all night. The righty allowed eight hits and three walks but limited the damage thanks to a key double play in the second and a clean fifth inning to preserve a one-run lead.
The bullpen held steady behind Elder. Aaron Bummer, Ronald Montero, and Enyel De Los Santos combined to allow two runs across four innings of relief.
Birdsong Implodes, Giants’ Miscues Mount
Giants rookie Hayden Birdsong failed to record an out, walking four and hitting one en route to a five-run first inning. San Francisco committed two throwing errors and allowed a brutal miscommunication on Acuña’s dash home, drawing pointed postgame words from manager Doug Melvin.
“It’s just a bad look,” Melvin said. “Another instance today that was not good for us.”
Despite Willy Adames’ four-hit, two-RBI night (including his 15th homer of the season), the Giants stranded 10 runners and went 3-for-11 with RISP.
Stat Highlights
- Ronald Acuña Jr.: 3 R, 1 H, 3 BB, 1 SB, 10.03s first-to-home
- Drake Baldwin: 3-for-5, 6 RBI, 2 2B
- Willy Adames (SF): 4-for-5, HR (15), 2 RBI
- Bryce Elder (ATL): 5 IP, 8 H, 3 ER, 3 BB, 1 K
Next Up: The Braves continue the series Tuesday night, sending rookie Davis Daniel (0.00 ERA) to the mound in search of back-to-back wins at home.
If you are attending the game at Truist Park, don’t forget that tonight’s promotion offers a Harry Potter-themed ticket package. These limited tickets include a Braves/Harry Potter reversible bucket hat.
If you need to plan your parking at Truist Park, we’ve got you covered!
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