Atlanta manager Brian Snitker tried something different to help Ronald Acuna Jr. break out of his slump Saturday.
After sitting out Friday’s game, Acuna batted sixth Saturday for the first time since his rookie year in 2018.
He didn’t have any hits, but he did walk twice to keep rallies alive for the Braves (64-78) in what became a 10-2 loss to the visiting Seattle Mariners (74-68).
The teams play the rubber match of the series Sunday afternoon.
Acuna returned from the injured list Aug. 15 and has just one home run. Heading into Saturday, he had only been on base once in five games, and that was by being hit by a pitch.
Snitker said Friday was a scheduled day off, but his star may have needed the rest. Acuna is hitting only .198 with only eight extra-base hits and nine RBIs in 30 games since the All-Star break.
Ozzie Albies was held hitless Saturday after going 9-for-16 with two home runs, a triple and four RBIs in his previous four games.
Right-hander Luis Castillo (8-8, 3.94 ERA) takes the mound for the Mariners on Sunday. He has not won a decision since beating the Athletics 3-1 on July 29. Castillo has lost two of his last three starts and has only made it out of the fifth inning once in six starts since his last win.
The 32-year-old is 3-1 with a 1.80 ERA in 35 innings over six career starts against the Braves. A three-time All-Star, Castillo has a career record of 81-84 with a 3.60 ERA in 239 games (all starts) for the Cincinnati Reds (2017-22) and Mariners (2022-present).
“When things are going like this, you just have to accept it and keep your head held high,” Castillo said after his last start, a 10-2 road loss to Tampa Bay last Monday. “Moments like this happen during the season. Baseball is so full of ups and downs, it is not going to stay all negative.”
The Braves will counter with Spencer Strider, who also is struggling.
The right-hander is 5-12 with a 4.97 ERA. The 26-year-old had lost four straight decisions and has not won since beating the host Kansas City Royals 10-7 on July 28.
Strider has a 37-22 career record with a 3.82 ERA. He has never faced Seattle.
The Mariners are third in the majors with 205 home runs after five homers Saturday.
Julio Rodriguez led the way with a pair of two-run homers. The first gave Seattle a 2-0 lead, the second broke a 2-2 tie in the seventh inning.
For Rodriguez, the homers were his 29th and 30th of the season, which have him two shy of tying a career high and six stolen bases shy of achieving the coveted 30/30 season, which the three-time All-Star also accomplished in 2023 (32 homers, 37 stolen bases).
Rodriguez became just the ninth player in Mariners history with multiple 30-homer seasons, and he joined current teammate Cal Raleigh as the only players in franchise history to clear that mark multiple times within their first four seasons.
Raleigh hit his major league-leading 52nd home run in the ninth to tie Javy Lopez for the major league record of 42 home runs (for 2003 Braves) when playing catcher.
Atlanta starter Hurston Waldrep saw the Mariners lineup up close Saturday, yielding the early home run to Rodriguez.
“You can get away with a lot of things in the lower levels, but you can’t get away with it up here,” Waldrep said. “You saw a really good playoff team tonight with great hitters and they made me work.”
–Field Level Media
