Acuna’s big game fuels Braves’ win
ATLANTA — Ronald Acuna 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 past the Philadelphia Phillies 8-1 on Friday.
Morton (1-1) allowed one run and four hits. The veteran righthander struck out seven and walked one.
Acuna’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 two-run 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 Acuna made a leaping catch of Alec Bohm’s drive at the warning track in right field.
Morton, 37, won his first home start the Braves 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 Palo Verde product 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.
■ Giants 3, Rockies 1: At
San Francisco, Johnny Cueto (1-0) came within one out of a complete game, and Brandon Crawford broke up a scoreless tie with a two-run double in the seventh. Cueto allowed one run on four hits and one walk and struck out seven.
■ Reds 6, Diamondbacks 5: At Phoenix, Tucker Barnhart’s third hit of the game was a two-out, go-ahead RBI single in the 10th. Eduardo Escobar hit a tying two-run homer in the eighth for Arizona, which trailed 5-0 after six.
■ Angels 7, Blue Jays 1: At Dunedin, Fla., Shohei Ohtani hit a solo home run and a three-run double to back Andrew Heaney (1-1), who allowed three hits and struck out nine in six shutout innings.
■ Athletics 6, Astros 2:
At Houston, Matt Olson hit a tiebreaking three-run homer in the eighth. Jed Lowrie hit a solo home run in the fourth and Mark Canha a two-run blast in the ninth for Oakland.
■ Rays 10, Yankees 5: At
St. Petersburg, Fla., Austin Meadows had three of the 13 hits by Tampa Bay, which scored five runs (three earned) in 2⅓ innings off starter Corey Kluber (0-1).
■ Indians 4, Tigers 1: At Cleveland, Franmil Reyes hit a two-run homer and a solo shot to back Zach Plesac (1-1), who allowed three singles and struck out six in seven shutout innings.