Ronald Acuna Jr. broke out of a mini-slump with two hits and an RBI on Wednesday to help the visiting Atlanta Braves beat the Oakland A’s 4-2 and salvage a game in their three-game series.
Acuna was hitless in the first two games, when the Braves combined for only three runs and 10 hits. Atlanta had seven hits in the series finale, with Orlando Arcia getting three and scoring twice.
Atlanta starter Jared Shuster (2-2) worked 5 1/3 innings and allowed two runs on three hits, four walks and one strikeout. The rookie has pitched at least five innings and allowed no more than three runs in each of his last four starts since joining the starting rotation.
Relievers Jesse Chavez, A.J. Minter, Nick Anderson and Raisel Iglesias did not allow a hit over the final 3 2/3 scoreless innings. Iglesias earned his fifth save.
Oakland starter James Kaprielian (0-6) pitched 4 2/3 innings and gave up three runs on five hits, with one walk, four strikeouts and one hit batsman.
The Braves broke a scoreless tie by sending all nine hitters to the plate in the fifth inning and scoring three times. Ozzie Albies hit a two-run homer to start the scoring after an Eddie Rosario one-out single. It was the 11th home run for Albies and first since May 14. Atlanta tacked on a run when Austin Riley was hit by a pitch with the bases loaded.
The A’s scored twice in the sixth and chased Shuster. With one out, Brent Rooker doubled and Ryan Noda walked. Ramon Laureano singled home a run to knock out Shuster. Carlos Perez faced Chavez and drove in a run on a grounder to shortstop that would have been a double play had Laureano not been running.
Atlanta extended its lead to 4-2 with a run in the seventh off reliever Ken Waldichuk. Acuna singled to right field to score Arcia, who led off the inning with a single.
Oakland’s Esteury Ruiz reached on an error and stole his 28th base in the first inning but was picked off second base by Shuster. It was the third straight game in which the rookie has been picked off.
–Field Level Media
