Braves move Ronald Acuna into leadoff spot
Atlanta manager Brian Snitker made what could prove to be an exciting change on Friday.
The Braves came into the series against Washington with the fourth worst on-base percentage at .299, which isn’t good enough for a team with playoff aspirations.
Snitker moved rookie Ronald Acuna into the leadoff spot, and centerfielder Ender Inciarte to seventh in the batting order. It worked. Acuna had a homer, double, single, walk, and two steals in a win against the Nationals.
“Every time I hit the field, I go out to have fun and do the best job that I can, Acuna said through an interpreter on 680 The Fan after the game. “I felt more comfortable. I was starting to feel more comfortable toward the end of the first half. I was working on some adjustments, mechanics in my swing. I’ve been able to adapt, and you can see the changes now.”
The Braves wanted to keep Ozzie Albies hitting second in front of Freddie Freeman and didn’t want to disturb Nick Markakis hitting cleanup.
Acuna also said that he enjoys hitting in front of, or behind, Albies.
BRAVES,
“I get really excited when I get the chance to hit either in front of him or behind him. Acuna said. “It’s the way we both hit and the way we are on the bases together. We bring speed on the bases.”
ALBIES HAMSTRUNG: Acuna hit leadoff on Sunday, but Albies wasn’t there to hit behind him. The Braves took Albies out of the game on Friday in the third inning with a tight hamstring.
The injury possibly happened on Albies’ first-inning double, which drove in Acuna. Albies made it until the third inning and scored on a groundout by Freddie Freeman.
Albies sat the rest of the game on Friday, and Saturday’s game was rained out. The Braves will be cautious with the All-Star second baseman.
He has 20 homers, 30 doubles and is hitting .283 on the season. He has a .346 on-base percentage and a .317 batting average batting in front of Freeman.
“My job is to get on base so that Freddie and (Markakis) can drive me in,” Albies said earlier in the season. “It’s essential for me to help the team by getting on base and running.”
The Braves will play Monday and Tuesday against Miami in South Florida. The team will likely rest Albies for those games into an off-day on Wednesday. He could return when the Los Angeles Dodgers come to SunTrust Park over the weekend.
CONTINUED IMPROVEMENT: Dansby Swanson has seen a resurgence during his second season.
The former Marietta High School standout hit a pinch-hit home run on June 24th on the day he found out that family friend and former Marietta
football coach James “Friday” Richards died. Since then Swanson is batting .288 (19-for66) with a .365 on-base percentage over the last 20 games he’s played.
Swanson has shown up in the clutch. The shortstop is hitting .313 (36-for-115) in the seventh inning or later, and he is hitting .390 (23-for-59) with three home runs in close and late-inning situations.
Swanson is hitting .322 (39for-121) with runners on base.
He’s not just getting it done with the bat. Swanson has 10 defensive runs saved, tied for the third most among all major league shortstops and four off the lead of the Angels’ Andrelton Simmons.
Braves third base coach Ron Washington isn’t surprised.
“I told y’all last year that he could play,” he said. “He’s too talented and works too hard not to succeed. He’s only getting started.”