Acuña’s Braves hit Wheeler around

ATLANTA>> Ronald Acuña Jr. had four hits, including a long two-run homer that gave Atlanta the lead, and made a leaping catch to support Charlie Morton’s six strong innings, leading the Braves to an 8-1 win over the Philadelphia Phillies on Friday night.

Morton (1-1) permitted one run and four hits. The veteran righthander struck out seven and walked one.

Acuña’s fifth-inning blast off Zack Wheeler (1-1) traveled an estimated 456 feet, landing deep in the center-field seats behind the Braves bullpen for a 2-1 lead. He also had two doubles and an infield single.

Pinch hitter Ehire Adrianza connected for a three-run homer and Freddie Freeman added a tworun shot as Atlanta’s hitters shook off a slow start to the season. The Braves were held to a combined three runs while being swept in a three-game series at Philadelphia last week to open the season.

Leading 3-1, Morton escaped the sixth inning with runners on first and third when Acuña made a leaping catch of Alec Bohm’s drive at the warning track in right field.

Morton, 37, won his first home start with Atlanta since his 2008 rookie season. He returned to Atlanta as a free agent following 12 seasons with Pittsburgh, Houston and Tampa Bay.

Adrianza was reinstated from the restricted list before the game. His homer off Brandon Kintzler in the sixth drove in Austin Riley and Cristian Pache, who reached on errors by Bohm at third base. Freeman’s homer off David Hale in the eighth pushed the lead to 8-1.

Following the homer by Acuña, Wheeler gave up Ozzie Albies’ double to right field and, two outs later, Travis d’Arnaud’s run-scoring single to left field.

Phillies manager Joe Girardi then came out to the mound. Though pitching coach Caleb Cotham was out for a chat with Wheeler minutes earlier, Girardi didn’t appear to realize it marked the second mound visit of the inning and Wheeler had to be removed. Girardi turned to head back to the dugout before being called back to the mound by the umpires to make the mandatory pitching change.

Wheeler, who threw 94 pitches, allowed three runs and seven hits in 4 2/3 innings.

Andrew McCutchen’s run-scoring single in the third gave Philadelphia a 1-0 lead.

UP NEXT

Atlanta’s Ian Anderson (0-0, 1.80 ERA) will face Philadelphia’s Zach Eflin (0-0, 1.29 ERA) in a rematch of right-handers when the three-game series continues Saturday night. Eflin allowed one run in seven innings in the Phillies’ 2-1 home win over Anderson and the Braves on Sunday.