The Atlanta Braves got quite the lift with the return of Ronald Acuna.
It wasn’t quite the 19-year old Andruw Jones hitting two homers in the 1996 World Series at the old Yankee Stadium. However, the Atlanta Braves 20-year old Ronald Acuna, Jr. hitting an eventual game-winning blast in the 11th inning to top one of the American League’s elite teams still felt pretty special.
On possibly the grandest stage he’s seen to this point, the rookie outfielder provided the grandest of heroics, sending one just over the outstretched arm of the 6’7″ Aaron Judge, as Atlanta defeated the Yankees 5-3 on Monday night.
It was more of the same for a Braves team that has seen its stock rise with Acuna’s return in the recent days.
Acuna was sidelined with an ACL sprain that kept him on the shelf for a month. But since he was inserted back into the lineup last Friday night, the Braves have seen an immediate impact.
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Atlanta finished a clean sweep of the St. Louis Cardinals over the weekend, thanks largely to the rookie’s 4-for-13 line for the series that consisted of a double and a homer, not to mention terrific defense in left field.
What did he do for an encore performance? He walked into Yankee Stadium against the team with the AL’s best winning percentage and came up with two more clutch extra-base hits, driving in three runs and being the key cog in Atlanta’s fourth straight win.
The Braves, 49-34, are now hotter than a firecracker on the fourth of July, expanding their lead in the National League East to 3.5 games over the Phillies and a season-best 7 games over the heavily-favored Nationals.
It’s no doubt that Acuna’s presence is making a difference for the entire lineup.
The Braves have scored 27 runs in their current 4-game win streak, good for an average of nearly 7 runs a game, providing plenty of support for the pitching staff. They’ve also compiled 40 hits in that stretch.
Acuna’s return has seemingly reignited other individuals, too.
Johan Camargo has probably been the most direct beneficiary. With Acuna hitting in front of him and getting into scoring position, Camargo has gone 6-for-his-last-13 while driving in four runs.
Charlie Culberson and Danny Santana have filled their roles well over the past few weeks in Acuna’s absence, but having the uber-talented rookie back as a lineup regular and hitting sixth deepens the order tremendously, while also greatly enhancing the outfield defense.
For Atlanta, this resurgence couldn’t come at a better time.
They’re in the middle of a stretch against teams that most definitely have the potential to go deep into the postseason, finishing two more with the Yankees and then a four-game road set against the Milwaukee Brewers, the NL’s other 49-win club.
Next: What Acuna's return means
They seem to be handling the pressure just fine so far, and who better to provide the big plays than the 20-year old phenom?