ESPN news: Acuña and Riley Speaks After the Braves were defeated 4-3 in 11 innings by the Dodgers
ANGELES — On Friday night, the Braves snapped their unusual homerless skid. Even yet, it was unable to lift their offense out of its current slump.
In the series opener at Dodger Stadium, the Braves were defeated 4-3 in 11 innings by the Dodgers despite home runs from Ronald Acuña Jr. and Austin Riley.
Four of the past six games for the Braves, who finished as the Majors’ top-scoring team the previous season, have seen three runs or fewer scored. As a team, they have hit.217/.295/.340 over the past two weeks.
It’s not a particular thing, Riley remarked. It’s baseball. We seem to be assembling some solid ABs. I just need to regain that momentum. It seems to be the most important factor. Everyone in this room is more than capable of finishing the task.
In extra innings, the offense’s shortcomings were more obvious. The Braves started the eleventh inning with automatic runner Adam Duvall at second base and at the top of their lineup against Dodgers reliever Michael Grove, who had a 6.50 ERA going into the game.
Acuña popped out to shortstop, Ozzie Albies grounded out to second base, and Riley grounded out weakly to third to strand the game-winning run with a perfect opportunity to take the lead. In the bottom of the eighth, rookie outfielder Andy Pages made them pay by blooping an RBI single off Jesse Chavez into center field, giving the Dodgers a walk-off victory.
The Braves were 0 for 5 overall when they had runners in scoring position.
According to Brian Snitker, manager of the Braves, “it was about getting the big hit.” “And they managed to get one more than us.”
The Braves had a decent start to things. Riley’s enormous 449-foot solo homer off Dodgers right-hander Gavin Stone in the first inning ended the team’s run of five straight games without a home run. Riley’s first home run in twenty-one games seemed to set the tone, as four of the Braves’ first eight batters got on base after his blast.
However, the offense stalled very soon. After the third inning, Stone struck out 13 of the next 15 batters, and the Braves got just one hit off of him.
The eighth offered a little reprieve thanks to Acuña. The defending National League Most Valuable Player went up and got a fastball from Daniel Hudson at the top of the zone that clocked at 95.5 mph and launched it over the out-of-town scoreboard in left field to tie the game with the Dodgers leading 2-1. Acuña’s season total was just two home runs.
Via an interpreter, Acuña remarked, “It’s always good to hit a home run and more than anything just give me the confidence to believe in [my] ability and what [I] am capable of.” “It’s just a nice way to get your feeling back.”
Orlando Arcia’s sacrifice fly gave the Braves a brief lead in the tenth, but Shohei Ohtani’s RBI single in the bottom of the inning gave the Dodgers a tie. That prepared the ground for the Braves to score a run in the eleventh, but they were unable to capitalize on the opportunity.
Riley stated, “You kind of expect to get that run in and we didn’t.” “Top of the lineup, nobody out.” “I need to flush it and return the next day.”
While the Braves’ offense struggled, Charlie Morton pitched six innings, giving up just two runs allowed. In the second inning, Jarred Kelenic played his role as well, perfectly tossing Pages out at bat from left field.
However, the Braves’ offensive woes ultimately took center stage and resulted in their fourth loss in their previous six games.
Snitker stated, “You go through stages like this.” “You will need to endure the turbulence. There has been strong pitching. Every game that we played included us. We will ultimately be able to restart the offensive if we just keep running them out there.
