ATLANTA -- Ronald Acuña Jr. didn’t get a good jump. But his ability to get to Bryson Stott’s two-out line drive prevented the Phillies from possibly chasing Braves starter Martín Pérez in the first inning of Atlanta's 4-2 loss in Saturday night’s game at Citizens Bank Park.
Pérez breathed a sign of relief when Acuña raced into the right-center-field gap to snag Stott’s liner. The Braves right fielder raced 51 feet back to the warning track and made the inning-ending catch.
Stott’s lineout ended a two-run first inning during which the Phillies drew four walks against Pérez. The Braves left-hander threw 35 pitches, with just 14 strikes in the inning.
Acuña also drew the ire of Phillies fans when he hit a Statcast-projected 450-foot solo home run off Zack Wheeler in the third. The 2023 NL MVP drew loud boos as he did his customary shuffle when he neared third base during his home run trot.
It was Acuña‘s 28th career home run of 450 feet or more, including the playoffs, which is two more than anyone else in MLB since the start of 2018.