Latest news with #RonaldAcunaJr
Yahoo
a day ago
- Sport
- Yahoo
Acuña, Ozuna and Riley homer as Braves end 5-game skid and Royals tie club mark with 14 walks
KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — Ronald Acuña Jr., Marcell Ozuna and Austin Riley homered as the Atlanta Braves snapped a five-game losing streak with a 10-7 victory over the Kansas City Royals, who equaled a club record by walking 14 batters Monday night. It was the fourth time the Royals walked 14 and the first since 2006. Acuña hit a two-run homer, his 14th, in the third and an inning later Ozuna added another two-run shot, also his 14th. Riley hit a solo homer, his 15th, in the seventh — and his three-run double in the eighth made it 9-3. Spencer Strider (5-8) pitched five innings, giving up two runs on seven hits and two walks with three strikeouts. Raisel Iglesias squelched a Royals rally in the ninth for his 12th save. Six of Kansas City's walks were issued by Rich Hill (0-2), who went four innings and gave up four runs and four hits. It was the second start of 2025 for the 45-year-old Hill after making his season debut with the Royals last Tuesday. It was also Hill's 250th career start and 388th appearance in his 21st season. Randal Grichuk hit his eighth homer, his first with the Royals since being acquired from Arizona on Saturday. Bobby Witt Jr. hit two doubles and leads the majors with 36. Maikel Garcia had two doubles among his three hits. Royals catcher Salvador Perez was hit on the left elbow by a pitch in the third and later left the game with a bruise. Key moment After the Royals scored two runs with none out in the ninth, Iglesias came in and gave up a sacrifice fly before securing the victory. Key stat The Braves had nine hits, six for extra bases. Up next RHP Erick Fedde (3-10, 5.22 ERA) makes his Braves debut when he faces Royals RHP Seth Lugo (7-5, 2.95) on Tuesday. ___ AP MLB:
Reuters
a day ago
- Sport
- Reuters
Braves ride 3 HRs, 14 walks to victory over Royals
July 29 - Ronald Acuna Jr. and Marcell Ozuna each hit a two-run homer, Austin Riley homered and drove in four, and the visiting Atlanta Braves emerged with a 10-7 win over the Kansas City Royals on Monday. The Royals tied a franchise record by issuing 14 walks, a mark reached four times previously. The Braves' offense matched its best-ever walk total, equally a record achieved twice before. Riley broke things open with a three-run double in the eighth for the Braves, who snapped a five-game losing streak. Atlanta's Spencer Strider (5-8) allowed two first-inning runs but no more while grinding into the sixth. Meanwhile, 45-year-old Rich Hill (0-2) walked six and allowed four runs and three hits in four innings during his second start for Kansas City, which had won five of the previous seven. Kansas City's Jonathan India opened the first with a single and eventually scored on Maikel Garcia's two-out double that split the right field gap. Salvador Perez followed with an RBI single. The Braves tied it in the third. After Hill yielded a two-out walk to Matt Olson, Acuna cleared the fountains over the left field fence. Then in the fourth, another Hill walk eventually set the stage for Ozuna, subject of trade rumors, to go deep for a 4-2 Atlanta edge. The Braves added on in the seventh when Riley clubbed a two-out solo homer to right off Sam Long. Kansas City got a run back in the bottom of that frame through consecutive doubles by Bobby Witt Jr. and Vinnie Pasquantino. Atlanta pulled away against Steven Cruz in the eighth. Olson delivered an RBI double, and after Acuna was intentionally walked, Riley cleared the loaded with his double to left-center for a 9-3 lead. Randal Grichuk homered in the eighth and Freddy Fermin had a two-RBI single in Kansas City's three-run ninth. Garcia recorded three hits. Perez exited prior to the fifth inning after he was hit in the left elbow by a Strider pitch in the third. --Field Level Media
New York Times
2 days ago
- Sport
- New York Times
Adrian Morejon's long-awaited ascension has come just in time for Padres
ST. LOUIS — Two months ago in Atlanta, Padres left-hander Adrian Morejon threw a 2-2 pitch to one of the most dangerous hitters on the planet. There were two outs in the bottom of the seventh, and Atlanta Braves outfielder Ronald Acuña Jr., playing in his first big-league game in a year, stood in the batter's box. The former National League MVP had already smashed a 467-foot leadoff home run, proving he was worth the wait that followed a second catastrophic knee injury. Advertisement Then the pitch, which left Morejon's hand at 91.2 mph, arrived over the plate. Acuña waved at it. Morejon pounded his glove as he hopped off the mound. The debut of his new changeup was a success. It's a kick-change, a pitch that has gained popularity around the game. Morejon grips it with his middle finger spiked on the ball, 'kicking' the axis forward on release and producing tailing movement. The results, in a small sample, have been noteworthy: Beginning with that Acuña at-bat on May 23, Morejon has thrown 27 changeups this season, all to right-handed hitters. Opponents are 0-for-10 with five strikeouts against the pitch. It's another reason Morejon has emerged as one of the best relievers in baseball. 'Watching him now get to this point in his career, the guy that we knew we had signed years ago, is very gratifying,' Padres pitching coach Ruben Niebla said. Morejon, too, is proving worth the wait. He is only 26, but it has been close to a decade since he went from a heralded international amateur to a touted professional prospect, costing the Padres $22 million between his signing bonus and overage taxes. Along the way, he has been a 20-year-old rookie. He has also been a longtime project. He made at least one trip to the injured list in five consecutive seasons. For a while, he appeared on the verge of becoming an expensive bust. Now, after staying on the mound throughout a breakout 2024, he is still ascending. Morejon's 50 appearances are tied for the third most in the majors. He leads all relievers with eight wins. His 1.72 ERA is the lowest on a Padres team that leads the league in bullpen ERA. His 'expected' ERA, 1.75, is the lowest in the sport. He is fulfilling lofty projections — finally, and just in time. Advertisement Days before the trade deadline, the Padres have obvious flaws as they cling to the National League's final wild-card spot. They also have a clear strength that continues to buoy dreams of October. That league-leading bullpen has hoisted San Diego to a 36-24 record in one- or two-run games. Only one team, the San Francisco Giants, has played more of those games. No other bullpen features multiple All-Star setup men. 'It's very, very challenging to make an All-Star team in that role,' Padres manager Mike Shildt said. That's how effective Morejon and Jason Adam have been. That's how effective Morejon and Adam have been. Neither is San Diego's closer, a job that belongs to major-league saves leader Robert Suarez. The Padres this month sent all three pitchers back to Atlanta's Truist Park, marking the first time one team has had so many All-Star relievers. Jeremiah Estrada remains another standout; Shildt calls his high-leverage collection the 'Four Horsemen.' WE KNOW THAT'S RIGHT — San Diego Padres (@Padres) July 11, 2025 Morejon, like Adam, became a revelation after adjusting his arm action. In late 2023, near the end of another injury-marred season, Niebla discovered what might have ailed Morejon for years. Biomechanical assessments revealed that the lefty's arm slot, having moved higher over the previous few seasons, was no longer working in harmony with the rest of his body. Niebla had Morejon lower it back to where it was in 2020. Then, in 2024, Morejon made 60 appearances, more than double his previous career high at any level. He recorded a 2.83 ERA. He relegated his four-seam fastball in favor of his sinker. The latter pitch averaged 97.4 mph, another career high. The lowered arm slot was the impetus behind all of it. 'It helped his rotational planes match what the slot is doing,' Niebla said. 'That, in essence, turned into better command, more velo and being able to be healthy more consistently or available more consistently.' Advertisement This year, Morejon continues to resemble the rare talent he was as a teenager. But a once-injury-prone starting-pitching prospect has developed into one of the most reliable late-game weapons in baseball. He has embraced the role, which is more comprehensive than it sounds. Morejon, just this season, has pitched everywhere from the fourth inning to the 10th. He has worked more than three outs 11 times. The volume of his usage is paired with striking efficiency: His per-inning average of 13.67 pitches ranks fourth among qualifying relievers. 'The mindset is matching the stuff now. Where, I feel in the past, it was just a little bit of — I don't want to say immaturity, but he was also young,' said Padres bullpen coach Ben Fritz, who managed Morejon in short-season ball in 2017. 'I just think that the maturation process from him has been elite. We saw it last year, and he's taken another step this year again.' Niebla said Morejon, now on his own, can detect small variances in his arm angle and make in-game adjustments. The left-hander used to throw more of a sweeping slider; he now deploys a harder, tighter variation to complement what veteran catcher Martín Maldonado calls a 'bowling ball' of a sinker. And two months ago, the Padres felt Morejon was ready to introduce an addition to his repertoire. He used to throw a knuckle changeup, an outlier pitch that was occasionally devastating. But he had thrown it less and less often; for years, Morejon struggled to harness its unpredictable movement. So, early this season, Niebla and Fritz suggested a modified grip. A post shared by MLB on FOX (@mlbonfox) The birth of Morejon's kick-change ensued. Niebla calls it a 'half-knuckle change.' Fritz says it 'showed up immediately with good movement. And he threw it naturally. He didn't have to try to manipulate the ball.' The coaches had Morejon get accustomed to throwing the pitch in catch play, then in pre-appearance warmups in the bullpen. Finally, on a May evening in Atlanta, Morejon debuted his new changeup against Acuña. The pitch's subsequent strikeout victims have included Ketel Marte, a three-time All-Star, and Mookie Betts, another former league MVP. Advertisement 'It is a good pitch. It pairs well,' Fritz said. 'I think you look at his arsenal and what he's typically doing to you — it's still a little bit of an element of surprise because he's thrown (only 27 knuckle-changes). … Any pitch that's overexposed is not going to be as well performing. But it does have a good profile, and we expect that the pitch should play well for him moving forward, even if the usage goes up.' It's the kind of pitch that projects to play into October. And it's another reason the Padres can dream of returning to that stage. 'In the first couple months, Ruben, Fritz and I were in the bullpen trying to figure it out, looking at all the numbers, seeing how well it would work,' Morejon said. 'We just messed with a couple things, but finally, it came out well in the way that it is now.' Some things, he knows, are worth the wait.
Forbes
6 days ago
- Sport
- Forbes
After Brian Snitker, Eric Young Sr. Makes Sense As Atlanta Braves Manager
ATLANTA, GEORGIA - JULY 2: Ronald Acuña Jr. #13 of the Atlanta Braves hugs first base coach Eric ... More Young Sr. of the Los Angeles Angels during the first inning at Truist Park on July 2, 2025 in Atlanta, Georgia. (Photo by) Eric Young Sr., Eric Young Sr. When you consider everything, why not Eric Young Sr. as the next manager of the Atlanta Braves? Yeah, it should be Eric Young Sr., known as E.Y. and the owner of the most perfectly groomed beard in Major League Baseball. Given Young's resume (and his splendid connection to somebody with the Braves named Ronald Acuna Jr.), he would keep the bottom line vibrant for a franchise ranked eighth by Forbes in team valuations at $3 billion. 'Being a manager would be the ultimate accomplishment,' Young once told me, reflecting on a Major League career with 15 years as a productive hitter (.283 lifetime average and six seasons with 40 or more stolen bases) and 14 years after that as an effective coach of baserunning and outfield play for four teams. Young's coaching stops included the Braves for six seasons through 2023, which was when Acuna won National League Most Valuable Player honors. If you look closely, Young's fingerprints are all over the plaque. 'Eric was the guy. Eric was the main guy who worked with Ronald,' Ron Washington told me, and Washington left the Braves as third base coach and infield guru after that 2023 season to become the manager of the Los Angeles Angels. He took Young with him as his third base coach before Young switched to first base to fill a need for the franchise. Not coincidentally, the Angels soared after that. Young told me in the past, 'I've been preparing myself for an opportunity to manage one day. I've learned from a lot of managers as a player, coach and analyst for ESPN, so if an opening occurs, I hope I'm considered.' That opening is coming. ATLANTA, GEORGIA - APRIL 21: Brian Snitker #43 of the Atlanta Braves looks on after challenging the ... More call on the field that Austin Riley #27 is out at first base in the eighth inning against the St. Louis Cardinals at Truist Park on April 21, 2025 in Atlanta, Georgia. After the review, the call on the field is overturned and Riley is called safe at first base. (Photo by Kevin C. Cox/Getty Images) Brian Snitker is the Braves' current manager, but his contract of $4 million per year expires at the end of what has evolved into a brutal season for a team he took to the NL Championship Series twice and a 2021 World Series title during seven consecutive trips to the playoffs through 2024. He also won 2018 NL Manager of the Year honors within his decade in charge of the Braves. Even so, I reported last month during my weekly appearance on Atlanta's WSB-TV Sports Zone Sunday show that Snitker suggested to me that he won't manage the Braves or anybody else in 2026 or beyond. "This season has worn me out,' Snitker told me, long before media reports surfaced this week about his retirement plans during a Braves' season of significant injuries, underperforming players and MLB-leading losses in one-run games. The Braves mostly have been crushed lately. Even though the San Francisco Giants were reeling entering Atlanta this week, they left with back-to-back victories of 9-0 and 9-3. The Braves dropped to a season-low 13 games below .500 at 44-57 and fell 14 games behind first place in the National League East and 10 1/2 games from the NL's last Wild Card spot. Snitker turns 70 in October, and for perspective, Baseball Hall of Fame manager Bobby Cox was so revered by fans and officials of the Braves that he has a statue outside of Truist Park. Cox was gently pushed into retirement after the 2010 season. He was 68, two years younger than Snitker. ATLANTA, GA - JULY 21: Walt Weiss #4 of the Atlanta Braves stands in the dugout during the first ... More inning against the San Francisco Giants at Truist Park on July 21, 2025 in Atlanta, Georgia. (Photo by Kevin D. Liles/) To replace Snitker, who will remain with the Braves in some capacity after nearly 50 years with the franchise, team bosses want somebody who can handle a roster filled with established players. That bolds well on the surface for Walt Weiss, the Braves' bench coach since 2017, and Skip Schumaker, a former NL Manager of the Year. Unlike Young, they are among the rumored choices in national circles to follow Snitker. Weiss, 61, managed the Colorado Rockies for four years through 1997, but his record was less than mediocre (283-365). As for Schumaker, 45, he managed just shy of two years with the Miami Marlins before he and ownership decided to part ways prior to the end of the 2024 season. There also are other managerial possibilities, and they have Braves ties. Mark DeRosa, 50, charmed fans and bosses as a Braves player from 1998 through 2004, and he managed Team USA during the 2023 World Baseball Classic to the championship game before losing. He'll return in that role for 2026. Then there is David Ross, 48, another former Braves player (2009-2012) with an engaging personality, and he managed the Chicago Cubs from 2020-2023 while producing meager results (262-284). ANAHEIM, CALIFORNIA - APRIL 20: Eric Young Sr. #85, third base coach of the Los Angeles Angels, ... More looks on during the game against the San Francisco Giants at Angel Stadium of Anaheim on April 20, 2025 in Anaheim, California. (Photo by Jayne Kamin-Oncea/Getty Images) Eric Young Sr. At 58, that's the guy. We're back to Acuna. This is Acuna's eighth season in the Major Leagues, and he already has five All-Star Game appearances, three Silver Slugger Awards and those NL MVP honors. He told me Washington and Young did as much as anybody to turn him into a superstar among superstars. Young appreciated Acuna's praise. 'If young players have confidence, you can push them to another level,' Young told me during his Braves days about Acuna. "If I have to work on the confidence and on the skill work at the same time, that's going to take a little longer, but I realized this kid had a lot of confidence, and that was before we even got on the field. 'Now, once we got out there, starting when I began working with him in the outfield, you could see the talent, and it's like, there's no question this guy's going to be special." Young was omniscient. Here's another thing: The Braves were founded in 1871, and they are the longest continuously operating franchise in the Major Leagues. This is their 60th season in Atlanta, the home of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Not only that, but the Braves' metropolitan area features the second-largest population of African Americans in the country at 2.3 million behind only New York's 3.8 million. The Braves of Boston, Milwaukee and even Atlanta have never had an African American manager. Young would be the first. So, here's the bigger thing: If the Braves hire Young, he would join Dave Roberts of the Los Angeles Dodgers, Will Venable of the Chicago White Sox and Washington as the only African American managers in the Major Leagues, and Hank Aaron would smile even more Up There. I know. Courtesy of our nearly 40-year relationship, I was closer to Aaron than any reporter in history. He spent much of his life after slamming 755 as a baseball executive often using me to express his desire for the Major Leagues to have significantly more African American players and managers. Aaron did so until his death in January 2021, and he was a baseball executive for 45 years with what team? Well, it was the team that featured Aaron as its Baseball Hall of Fame player for 21 seasons. It was the team that honors him every year with events. It was the team with his statue inside its ballpark. It was the team that would do his legacy proud by hiring Eric Young Sr. as manager next season. Yup, the Braves.
Yahoo
7 days ago
- Sport
- Yahoo
Braves get big update on Austin Riley's injury rehab
The post Braves get big update on Austin Riley's injury rehab appeared first on ClutchPoints. The Atlanta Braves are having a tough year. The club has dealt with injuries, as well as some disappointing play. Atlanta is getting some good news though about the health of infielder Austin Riley. 'Austin Riley has been running in the outfield and running around the bases for the past 20-plus minutes. I would expect him to be activated from the injured list when he's eligible on Tuesday,' writer Mark Bowman posted to X, formerly Twitter, on Sunday. Riley is nursing an injured abdomen. The infielder is hitting .274 this season, with 14 home runs and 48 RBIs. He last recorded stats on July 11, in a game against the St. Louis Cardinals. Braves are hoping to salvage a rough year Atlanta has lost games at a disappointing pace this season. The Braves fell to 11 games under .500, for the first time since the 2017 campaign. Atlanta is just 43-54 on the campaign, heading into a game on Sunday with the New York Yankees. In recent days, the Braves engaged in a trade with the Texas Rangers. Texas acquired former Braves pitcher Jose Ruiz, as well as cash, for pitcher Dane Dunning. Dunning has a 3.38 ERA this season working for the Rangers. With the MLB trade deadline approaching on July 31, Atlanta may not be done. The Braves are reportedly interested in dealing second baseman Ozzie Albies. Braves outfielder Ronald Acuna Jr. is also a hot trade candidate, although he has said consistently he wants to stay in Atlanta. 'Atlanta is expected to listen to trade offers for second baseman Ozzie Albies, center fielder Michael Harris, and catcher Sean Murphy, but not until this winter,' USA Today's Bob Nightengale wrote, and reported by Newsweek. 'They are letting teams know that DH Marcell Ozuna, closer Raisel Iglesias, and reliever Pierce Johnson are all available. Ozuna, who has 10-and-5 rights, can veto any trade.' The Braves have six losses in their last 10 games, heading into Sunday. Related: MLB rumors: Skip Schumaker emerges as candidate for Braves, Rangers head coach gigs Related: Braves rumors: Atlanta listening to trade offers for Ozzie Albies, Michael Harris, but there's a catch
