Ronald Acuña Jr. homers to lead off both games of Braves' doubleheader sweep

ATLANTA, Ga. — Quick, get a thesaurus. They are starting to run out of superlatives.

Seriously.

What else can be said to describe the start of the career of Ronald Acuña?

The Braves rookie led off both games of a doubleheader against the Marlins with a home run on Monday. He homered off Pablo Lopez to lead off the Braves’ 9-1 win in Game 1. He homered off Merandy Gonzalez on the first pitch – a blast to centerfield that was a no-doubter as it traveled an estimated 441 feet – in a 6-1 victory in Game 2. Mike Foltynewicz pitched eight strong innings for the nightcap win.

The 20-year-old Acuña became the first player to hit a leadoff home run in both games of a doubleheader since 1999, when Brady Anderson did it for the Orioles against the White Sox, according to the Elias Sports. It was also done by Rickey Henderson in 1993 and Harry Hooper in 1913.

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Acuña now has homered in four straight games, the youngest player in 110 seasons to do so, and in six of the past seven. Monday’s home runs were his 16th and 17th of the season.

Remember that Acuña played in just his 66th game after he started the season at Triple-A, was called up to the major leagues on April 25 and missed 28 games with a left knee injury.

Acuña was 3-for-3 in Game 1 with the home run and a two-run double. He was 3-for-5 in Game 2 with the home run and two singles. Acuña has now led off a game with a homer four times this season.

The impressive stats really add up since Acuña was moved to the leadoff spot after the all-star break. In the 23 games, including his first at-bat in Monday’s nightcap, he has hit .349 (30-for-86) with 10 home runs, one triple and six doubles.

The Braves took a 2-0 lead in the first inning as Johan Camargo delivered an RBI single, scoring Ozzie Albies, after Acuña’s home run. You figured that would be enough against the Marlins. However, the Braves added another run in the sixth inning when Acuña​​​​​​​, Albies and Freddie Freeman hit consecutive two-out singles.

Foltynewicz helped his own cause with an RBI single in the sixth inning, after Dansby Swanson was intentionally walked ahead of him. Acuña​​​​​​​ following with an RBI single to give the Braves a 5-1 lead.

The Marlins scored in the sixth inning on an RBI double by Starlin Castro.

Foltynewicz (10-7) earned his third straight win. The right-hander worked eight innings before being relieved for a pinch-hitter. He allowed one earned run struck out seven and walked one. He threw 113 pitches, 71 for strikes.

Foltynewicz is now 5-1 against the Marlins in his career, including 2-0 this season.

Freeman led off the seventh inning with a home run to right center for his 19th of the season that extended the Braves’ lead to the final margin of 6-1.

The Atlanta Journal-Constitution