The Atlanta Braves welcomed back star outfielder Ronald Acuña Jr. in style Tuesday night, rallying late to defeat the Miami Marlins 8-4 behind a decisive eighth inning at loanDepot park.
Playing for the first time since May 2 after being sidelined with a left hamstring strain, Acuña immediately made his presence felt. Batting leadoff as the designated hitter, the reigning National League MVP doubled, walked twice and scored three runs as Atlanta reclaimed sole control late in a back-and-forth contest.
The Braves entered the eighth inning tied at 4-4 before capitalizing on Miami’s bullpen troubles. Marlins reliever Calvin Faucher walked Mike Yastrzemski, Ha-Seong Kim and Acuña to load the bases with two outs. Mauricio Dubón then delivered the go-ahead RBI infield single to put Atlanta ahead 5-4.
Matt Olson followed with a clutch two-run single to extend the lead to 7-4, capping a four-run inning that broke the game open. Kim added an RBI single in the ninth to complete the scoring.
Dubón finished with three hits, while Olson collected two hits, walked twice and drove in three runs. Michael Harris II also sparked the offense with a homer and RBI single for the NL East-leading Braves.
Atlanta jumped out quickly in the first inning when Ozzie Albies lifted a sacrifice fly and Harris added an RBI single against Miami starter Braxton Garrett for a 2-0 lead.
But the Marlins answered immediately in the bottom half. Xavier Edwards opened the inning with a leadoff home run, and Kyle Stowers followed later with a two-run double to give Miami a 3-2 advantage.
Esteury Ruiz’s sacrifice fly in the third stretched the Marlins’ lead to 4-2 before the Braves began chipping away. Olson doubled home a run in the fifth, and Harris tied the game in the sixth when he crushed Andrew Nardi’s first pitch over the center-field wall for his ninth homer of the season.
Atlanta starter Martín Pérez battled through five innings, allowing four runs on five hits while striking out a career-high 10 batters. Dylan Lee earned the victory with 1 1/3 scoreless innings of relief to improve to 2-0.
Garrett, making just his second start since missing all of last season following elbow surgery, allowed two runs on three hits over three innings for Miami.
The series continues Wednesday with Atlanta ace Chris Sale (6-3, 1.96 ERA) scheduled to face Marlins right-hander Janson Junk (2-4, 4.14 ERA).
