Ronald Acuña Jr.’s lack of hustle proves costly for Braves

By Oct 3, 2019, 9:18 PM EDT
Todd Kirkland/Getty Images
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It was only two months ago that Braves outfielder Ronald Acuña Jr. was benched for a lack of hustle. In mid-August, Acuña gawked at what he thought was a home run. The ball, however, stayed in the yard so he had to settle for a long single. Manager Brian Snitker removed him from the game not long afterwards.

Acuña apparently didn’t learn his lesson because the same thing happened, this time in a playoff game. Acuña led off the bottom of the seventh inning of NLDS Game 1 against the Cardinals with the Braves leading 3-1. He slapped a John Brebbia offering down the right field line. Either because he thought it was a home run or because he wasn’t sure if it would stay fair, Acuña watched the ball travel in the air rather than running hard. The ball caromed off of the right field fence. Dexter Fowler played the carom and fired the ball on one hop to second base, leaving Acuña with a long single.

Acuña moved to second base on an Ozzie Albies ground out. He should have been on third base instead, and it proved costly. Lefty Andrew Miller entered, eventually putting Freddie Freeman on first base after hitting him with a pitch. Josh Donaldson then hit a sharp liner to shortstop Paul DeJong. Acuña was too far off the second base bag when the 104 MPH line drive was caught, so he was doubled off to end the inning. If he had been on third base instead, he wouldn’t have been doubled off. Thus, the Braves would have had another opportunity to pad their lead.

The Cardinals rallied for two runs to tie the game at 3-3 in the top of the eighth, then plated four runs in the ninth en route to a 7-6 victory. Acuña added a two-run home run in the bottom of the ninth, his third hit of the night, but the Braves’ rally came up short.

Snitker could not have benched his team’s best player in the middle of a playoff game, and he can’t bench him ahead of an upcoming playoff game, either. One, however, imagines Snitker and Acuña will have a conversation about the lack of hustle following Thursday’s loss.

Update (9:34 PM ET): Freeman wasn’t happy about it. Per The Athletic’s David O’Brien:

Stanton, Donaldson, Kahnle activated by Yankees ahead of Dodgers series

Associated PressJun 1, 2023, 4:00 PM EDT
Brad Penner-USA TODAY Sports
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LOS ANGELES — Giancarlo Stanton, Josh Donaldson, and Tommy Kahnle were activated by the New York Yankees ahead of their weekend series against the Los Angeles Dodgers.

New York cleared three roster spots after a 1-0 loss at Seattle, optioning infielder-outfielders Oswaldo Cabrera and Franchy Cordero to Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre along with left-hander Matt Krook.

Stanton, Donaldson and Kahnle all played in a rehab game for Double-A Somerset. Stanton was hitless in three at-bats in his first appearance since injuring his left hamstring on April 15.

Donaldson went 1 for 4 in his fourth rehab game as he comes back from a strained right hamstring originally sustained on April 5.

Kahnle pitched one inning, giving up one run and one hit and walking two. He has been out since spring training with right biceps tendinitis.

Aaron Boone said he wasn’t concerned about Stanton returning after playing in just one rehab game. He did say that Stanton likely will be a designated hitter for a couple of weeks after rejoining the Yankees.

New York is missing centerfielder Harrison Bader, who strained his right hamstring against the Mariners and went on the injured list the next day.

Left-hander Carlos Rodón, sidelined since spring training by a sore left forearm and an ailing back, was transferred to the 60-day injured list.