Field Level Media
Jun 10, 2023
Marcell Ozuna and Ronald Acuna Jr. hit two-run homers in the second inning and the host Atlanta Braves rolled to a 6-4 win over the Washington Nationals on Saturday to extend their winning streak to seven games.
Atlanta improved to 4-1 against Washington this season. The Nationals have lost six in a row.
Ozuna's homer, his 13th, went 426 feet to left-center field and scored Travis d'Arnaud, who had walked. After Kevin Pillar's double, Acuna connected with a curveball, sending it 413 feet to right center for his 13th homer. Both long balls came off starter MacKenzie Gore.
Acuna went 3-for-4 with two doubles, two runs and three RBIs. He is hitting .364 (8-for-22) on the current homestand.
Atlanta starter Jared Shuster (3-2) pitched five-plus innings and allowed three runs on eight hits. He did not walk a batter nor record a strikeout.
Jesse Chavez pitched two scoreless innings, striking out three, and Joe Jimenez worked a scoreless eighth. A.J. Minter surrendered a homer to Stone Garrett to open the ninth but came back to retire the next three batters and earn his ninth save.
Gore (3-5) settled down after the decisive second and pitched five innings. He allowed five runs on four hits, with one walk and three strikeouts.
The Nationals got one run in the first inning when Lane Thomas tripled and scored on Luis Garcia's sacrifice fly.
The Braves tied it in the bottom of the first. Acuna doubled and came around to score on Austin Riley's sacrifice fly.
Washington closed the margin to 5-3 by scoring twice in the fifth. Michael Chavis and Ildemaro Vargas singled, and both were able to score when Thomas doubled to left field.
Atlanta got another run in the seventh when Pillar singled, stole second and scored on Acuna's double.
Chad Kuhl and Jordan Weems combined to allow one run in three innings of relief for Washington.
--Field Level Media