Ronald Acuna Jr. homered twice and Matt Olson also went deep, helping the Atlanta Braves defeat the visiting Miami Marlins 11-3 on Thursday to sweep a three-game series and extend their winning streak to a season-best eight games.
Acuna produced his 10th and 11th home runs in the third and eighth innings, respectively, and drove in three runs. Olson added a double, and his long homer in the sixth started a four-run inning that broke the game open.
Atlanta amassed 14 hits. Mauricio Dubon totaled four hits and two RBIs, and Michael Harris II singled, doubled and tripled and had two RBIs.
The game was delayed by rain for 1:24 in the top of the fourth inning. Atlanta starter Martin Perez did not return after opening with three no-hit scoreless innings, walking one and striking out three. Victor Mederos (2-0), the third of six pitchers used by the Braves, tossed two scoreless innings.
Marlins starter Janson Junk (5-7) pitched three innings and allowed two runs on five hits and one walk while striking out one.
A defensive miscue cost Miami in the third inning. After Drake Baldwin hit a two-out single, Acuna lofted a high fly ball to left-center. Heriberto Hernandez and Esteury Ruiz leaped into each other while trying to make a catch on the warning track. The ball caromed off Ruiz’s glove and over the fence for a home run.
The Braves put the game away with four runs in the sixth against reliever John King. Olson crushed a breaking ball for a 422-foot homer, his 32nd of the year, into the waterfall in center field. Harris doubled, Dubon singled and Lane Thomas followed with a pinch-hit RBI double. Austin Riley added a sacrifice fly and Thomas scored on second baseman Xavier Edwards’ fielding error.
The Marlins scored two runs off reliever Danny Young in the seventh inning, when Javier Sanoja and Griffin Conine delivered RBI singles.
Acuna’s second homer of the night came as part of a three-run eighth inning.
Atlanta improved to 8-2 against Miami this season. The Marlins had won six of their past seven games before the series.
–Field Level Media
