KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — Matt Olson and Austin Riley hit consecutive home runs in a four-run first inning and the Atlanta Braves went deep five times in a 10-3 rout of the Kansas City Royals on Friday night.
Sam Hilliard, Sean Murphy and Ronald Acuña Jr. also homered for the Braves, with Hilliard hitting a 448-foot drive beyond the bullpen in right in the second inning. Murphy had three RBIs.
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“Ronnie has been setting the tone like crazy,” Olson said of Acuña. “Every time my spot comes around it feels like I’ve been hitting with him on base.”
Riley’s home run was the 100th of his big league career.
“It’s fun to come to the yard every day.,” he said.
Brady Singer (1-1) allowed four of the homers, one shy of his career high, and gave up eight runs and 10 hits in five innings as his ERA rose to 7.88.
“I made some really bad pitches,” Singer said. “It kind of boils down to leaving a lot of pitches middle of the plate there..”
Braves manager Brian Snitker was ejected in the second inning for arguing. Umpires had placed runners on first and second after a ball Olson hit off the left-field wall was ruled foul, then changed to fair. Murphy followed with a two-run double.
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“They got the call right, but I don’t think they placed the runners in the right spot,” Snitker said. “You have one of the fastest guys in Major League Baseball at first and you’re going to put him at second base on a ball down the line off the wall? I would have been OK if they would have scored him.”
Morton (2-1) allowed three runs — two earned — and six hits in six innings.
“He kept getting out of trouble, and he has pitches to do that,” Snitker said.
Vaughn Grissom had an RBI double in the first.
Kansas City scored on Morton’s error in the first, Michael Massey’s sacrifice fly in the fourth and when Kyle Isbel was hit by a pitch with the bases loaded in the fifth.
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TRAINER’S ROOM
Braves: RHP Collin McHugh, on the injured list since April 6 with right shoulder inflammation, traveled with the team and could be activated as soon as he is eligible, according to Snitker… C Travis d’Arnaud, on the 7-day concussion IL since April 9, is making progress and is on schedule to return, Snitker said. ... INF Orlando Arcia was put on the 10-day IL with a left wrist fracture. ... Grissom was recalled from Triple-A Gwinnett.
Royals: Dylan Coleman was optioned to Triple-A Omaha following Wednesday’s game. Coleman had appeared in five games, allowing 10 runs on seven hits and seven walks in five innings. RHP Josh Staumont was recalled from Maha after four scoreless outings with seven strikeouts and one walk.
UP NEXT
RHP Bryce Elder (1-0, 0.00 ERA) starts for the Braves on Saturday and LHP Kris Bubic (0-1, 1.64) for the Royals.
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