ATLANTA — Ronald Acuna Jr. wasn’t in the starting lineup on Friday against the Miami Marlins.
But in a key moment, the Atlanta Braves’ star outfielder made his presence known.
Acuna’s two-out, pinch-hit RBI double in the seventh inning off Anthony Bass tied the game and started a three-run Braves rally that sank the Marlins, 6-4, to begin a three-game series at Truist Park. The Marlins (18-25) have lost six of their last seven games, a stretch that includes three losses in four games against the Braves (22-24).
Miami had a one-run lead heading into the bottom of the seventh courtesy of a pair of two-run home runs in the sixth inning by Garrett Cooper and Jesus Aguilar.
But it all quickly unraveled after that.
Steven Okert began the seventh with a full-count walk to Matt Olson before getting William Contreras to line out and Adam Duvall to strike out after an eight-pitch at-bat. That’s when Braves manager Brian Snitker went to his bench and had Acuna, who hadn’t played since Tuesday while dealing with a Grade 1 quad strain, hit for Travis Demeritte. Marlins manager Don Mattingly countered by bringing in Bass, who entered Friday with a 1.53 ERA and 0.91 walks and hits per inning pitched rate this season.
Bass worked Acuna to a 1-2 count before Acuna lined a slider to left field for an RBI double to score Olson and tie the game at 4-4. Bass then walked Dansby Swanson on four pitches before Ozzie Albies hit a two-run double to give the Braves the lead for good.
In 60 career games against the Marlins, Acuna has a .330 batting average (75 for 227) with 38 extra-base hits (16 doubles, one triple, 21 home runs), 53 RBI and 63 runs scored.
It undid the Marlins’ one inning of offensive production, which until that point had undone Trevor Rogers’ one bad inning on the mound after a strong start.
Prior to the Marlins’ offensive outburst in the sixth inning, Miami had just one hit against Braves starter Ian Anderson — a first-inning single by Cooper, who now has nine multi-hit games this season.
But then Jon Berti, activated from the injured list pregame Friday, hit a leadoff single to set up Cooper’s two-run home run — a 446-foot shot to left field off an Anderson change-up near the middle of the strike zone — to cut Miami’s deficit to 3-2.
Jorge Soler then drew a full-count walk to represent the then-game-tying run. Two batters later, Aguilar then worked a nine-pitch at-bat before sending a change-up at the top of the strike zone 391 feet to left for a home run.
The Braves’ bullpen then shut the Marlins down for the remaining 3 1/3 innings while their offense rallied.
Meanwhile, Rogers saw his dominant start come to a whimpering end. The Marlins’ 24-year-old lefty threw four perfect innings — 12 up, down — before giving up three runs in the fifth on an Austin Riley solo home run, Contreras RBI double and Demeritte RBI single.
