Ronald Acuña Jr., Braves Offense Slammed by Fans for Play in Game 1 Loss to Phillies
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It was a tough day for No. 1 seeds in the Division Series.
After the Baltimore Orioles dropped Game 1 of the ALDS, the Atlanta Braves followed it up with a 3-0 loss to the Philadelphia Phillies.
The Phillies saw strong production from players like Trea Turner, Bryson Stott and J.T. Realmuto, but Bryce Harper stole the day.
Harper delivered a clutch home run in the sixth inning that game the Phillies a more comfortable lead and he had two hits, two walks and scored two runs on the day.
The Braves offensively were much less impressive. The team mustered five hits with players like Ronald Acuña Jr, Michael Harris and Sean Murphy failing to record a hit.
The team was also 0-5 with runners in scoring position, with Acuña, Harris, Austin Riley, Ozzie Albies and Matt Olson all squandering RBI opportunities.
The issues on offense were well documented on social media, with fans questioning if Acuña and the other Braves star hitters have was it takes to win in the postseason.
In addition to the offensive ineptitude, fans pondered the possibility of the Braves losing to the Phillies in the NLDS for the second consecutive season.
The loss makes the journey back harder, but this Braves team was special all season for a reason. The Braves led MLB in hitting, were in the top half of the league in pitching and won a league-best 104 games. While a Game 1 loss is certainly tough to take, especially given how last season ended, it’s certainly not over for Atlanta.
However, Philadelphia is now in the driver’s seat and need to win just two more games to reach the NLCS for a second consecutive season. They have also clinched at least two games at home in the NLDS and look like a force to be reckoned with for the NL playoff teams.
The Braves will look to right the ship while the Phillies will look to grab a stranglehold on the series in Game 2. Both team’s will have to wait until Monday, with the second game set to begin at 6:07 P.M. at Truist Park with Zach Wheeler starting for the Phillies and Max Fried getting the start for Atlanta.