Stratton bounces back, slows Atlanta’s Acuña
ATLANTA — While baseball is abuzz over 20-year-old Braves newcomer Ronald Acuña, Gregor Blanco wanted to talk about Ronald Acuña Sr.
The elder Acuña was a bigtime prospect with the Mets who flamed out, Blanco said, “because of a couple of mistakes” that he swore he would not let his son repeat.
Acuña Sr. and Blanco played together in Venezuela, with the Tiburones. They had a reunion in the SunTrust Park tunnel Friday night after a 9-4 Giants victory that spoiled Acuña Jr.’s first big-league home game.
Blanco had the first of many huge hits for the Giants, who opened a 10-game roadie with their eighth win in the past 11.
Chris Stratton spotted At-
lanta two first-inning runs, not ideal against a team coming off 7-0 and 11-0 victories over the Mets, before the Giants scored six in the second against Mike Foltynewicz to propel them to victory.
The Giants scored more runs in the inning than Atlanta had allowed throughout a five-game win streak that ended in front of a record crowd at this second-year ballpark.
Blanco tied the game with a two-run triple, one of three extra-base hits in the inning. Alen Hanson drove in a run with a double from the leadoff spot and Brandon Belt hit an RBI double. The Giants also scored twice on groundballs, including a slow Buster Posey roller on which Hanson beat third baseman Jose Bautista’s throw home.
Just as important, the Giants did not stop scoring in a park that is a worthy successor to the old Launching Pad, Fulton County Stadium, the Braves’ home before they moved to Turner Field.
Brandon Crawford and Evan Longoria produced three runs with homers in the seventh and ninth innings, respectively. Crawford, who had three hits as he charges along the bounce-back trail, has hit all three homers this season against left-handed pitchers.
“In this ballpark, you better keep adding on because there are going to be a lot of runs scored,” manager Bruce Bochy said. We saw it last year and we saw it tonight.”
The hot ballpark and even hotter opponent made Stratton’s six-inning, three-run effort even more impressive, especially the way he held Atlanta to a Nick Markakis solo homer over his final five innings.
Stratton’s key was an eightpitch fifth inning that began when Acuña hit a 110-mph laser that Longoria somehow gloved on one hop. Longoria’s stop looked like a magic trick.
That was part of a loud 0-for-4 for Acuña, who also crushed a long out to center in the first inning between Ozzie Albies’ leadoff double and Freddie Freeman’s oppositefield home run.
Bochy said more with his eyes than his words when asked about Acuña. Blanco simply said, “He’s definitely going to be an impact player.”
Stratton needed this win coming off his worst career start in last Saturday’s 15-6 loss to the Dodgers, right after his trip to Mississippi for his daughter’s birth. Fourteen of his friends and relatives were at Friday’s game.
“It’s been a long week reliving the last outing,” Stratton said.
The Giants continue to win without so many key players. Every win they tack on before Madison Bumgarner returns seems like two.
They are playing with confidence in the face of physical attrition. Blanco’s could even be called a swagger.
When the Giants scored six in the second inning against one of baseball’s hottest teams, and a starter who was throwing 99 mph, Blanco said, “We let everyone know we’re here, and we’re the Giants.”