ATLANTA --  For just the fourth time since 1913, the Braves tallied at least five runs while recording three hits or less. But to get a better sense of the many oddities that evolved during a 5-0 win over the Marlins on Wednesday night, it’s best to focus on Ronald Acuna’s take on Adeiny Hechavarria’s reaction after hitting a two-run homer.  

“I’ve got to be honest, I think that’s the best bat flip I’ve ever seen,” a laughing Acuna said through an interpreter. 

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A veteran who has totaled 34 homers in 2,965 career at-bats drew a bat flip compliment from a 21-year-old phenom who now has 16 homers through his first 141 career at-bats against the Marlins. It was just that kind of night for the Braves, who at least tasted some normalcy courtesy of Julio Teheran and Acuna extending their dominance of the Marlins.  

Teheran’s seven scoreless innings and Acuna’s 36th homer of the season highlighted Atlanta’s 14th win in their last 18 games against the Marlins. This success has helped the Braves gain the six-game National League East division lead that they possess over the Nationals.

While the result was quite familiar, the path to this victory was rather unique. The only previous time that the Braves won a game during which they scored at least five runs while recording three hits or less was a 6-3 victory over the Giants on June 21, 1963. A 22-year-old catcher named Joe Torre homered during a six-run fifth that day.      

“We were efficient with our hits,” Braves manager Brian Snitker said.

Two of the hits were recorded in successive fashion during the three-run second manufactured against Caleb Smith. Tyler Flowers scored Josh Donaldson with a triple, his third of the season and fifth in 2,332 career at-bats. Hechavarria followed with a two-run homer that was highlighted by the light-hitting shortstop flipping his bat in a manner that would have created a strong spin rate with a Statcast reading.  

“I told him I almost caught [the bat], that’s how high he threw it,” Teheran said.

Six days after recording just four outs against the Mets in the shortest start of his career, Teheran recorded a season-high nine strikeouts and limited the Marlins to five hits. This was a very familiar result for the veteran hurler who allowed just one run over 32 innings against Miami this year. 

Teheran’s innings total is the highest recorded by a Braves pitcher who has allowed one run or less against a team over an entire season during the live ball era. Pat Jarvis, who limited the Astros to one run over 31 1/3 innings in 1971, previously owned this distinction. 

“That’s nice to know,” Teheran said. “Hopefully, I can have that kind of success against other teams.”

Smith notched a pair of doubles against Teheran to become the first pitcher since Livan Hernandez (Sept. 14, 2010) to record two extra-bases in a game against the Braves. But the Marlins’ left-hander paid for the homers surrendered to Hechavarria and Acuna.

While Teheran’s success has been quite impressive, Acuna has been more dominant than any other Braves player against the Marlins. The All-Star outfielder’s 16 home runs against Miami since the start of 2018 matches the Yankees’ Gleyber Torres (vs. Baltimore) for the most hit against any one team within that span. 

Acuna’s 415-foot two-run shot in the fifth inning was his 11th homer that he has hit through his first 19 games of August. The young outfielder has homered nine times in 68 at-bats and constructed a 1.138 OPS over 78 plate appearances against Miami this year.

“This is a game of confidence and how you feel,” Snitker said. “I’m sure he feels confident [against the Marlins]. [Those are] some good arms he’s hit this year too. But you have those teams that nobody can explain. You just kind of try to ride the crest and enjoy it.”