WATCH: Ronald Acuna Jr. throws out runner on third with rightfield laser as Braves wins again

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By Webdesk


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It took 12 innings, but the National League-leading Atlanta Braves won for the 10th time in 13 games on Sunday afternoon. Michael Harris II provided the walk-off double in the 12th inning to give Atlanta the three-game victory over the Baltimore Orioles (ATL 3, BAL 2 in 12 innings). The Braves top the NL East standings at 24-11.

The score was tied at 1–1 in overtime, then the Orioles and Braves traded points in the 10th. Atlanta tied on a wild pitch in the bottom of the 10th inning, of all things. Here’s Harris’s walk-off double:

Although he went 0 for 5 in the match, Ronald Acuña Jr. in it on Sunday to make a big impact. He threw out speedy Austin Hays at third base in the 11th inning when Hays attempted to advance on a flyout by Adam Frazier to right. To the action footage:

There are few things in this game as breathtaking as a great pitch in the outfield. Acuña entered the game this year with a competitive throw average of 95.8 mph, the highest mark among qualified outfielders. Only one other player, Washington Nationals ballhawk Victor Robles, averages over 92.0 mph on his throws. Acuñas always had a cannon and it showed there.

Even with Sunday’s 0 for 5, Acuña is hitting a robust .338/.431/.551 this season and leads all position players with 2.2 WAR. That comes after a good but very un-Acuña-like .266/.351/.413 line in 119 games a year ago, after his ACL surgery in 2021. It seems pretty clear that the knee is now completely healthy. Acuña has played the first six weeks of the season as an MVP.

The Braves won 101 games last season and the NL East thanks to the tiebreaker over the New York Mets. They are looking for their sixth straight division title this year, or the sixth of the Acuña era.





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