Acuña's torrid return, Schwellenbach's CG have Braves looking to right ship

MILWAUKEE -- There was little, if any, doubt about where the ball was headed when it left the bat of Ronald Acuña Jr. in the top of the fourth Wednesday afternoon.

Acuña hit the ball hard enough (107.7 mph exit velocity) and at the right trajectory (31 degree launch angle) that he was even able to lean back and admire his swing for a few extra seconds. The ball -- an 89.1 mph, middle-in cutter from Brewers starter Chad Patrick -- eventually landed a Statcast-projected 416 feet away from home plate for a long, two-run home run.

That followed Michael Harris II’s two-run homer and Drake Baldwin’s RBI single in the second, which was enough scoring for the Braves in their 6-2, series-clinching win at American Family Field. That combined with excellent work from Spencer Schwellenbach, who struck out nine, didn’t walk a batter and gave up just two runs in his first complete game.

“This was a good series for us to win right now,” manager Brian Snitker said.

Acuna’s homer put the stamp on his three-hit day. It also capped off a strong series for the 27-year-old, who hit .583 (7-for-12) with two home runs, four RBIs and three runs scored in Milwaukee.

The series continued a stellar showing for Acuña since he returned from a nearly year-long absence due to a torn left ACL. He has already hit six homers, driven in 11 runs and scored 13 times in his first 18 games back. In his first 78 plate appearances of the year, he’s slashing .353/.436/.647/199 wRC+, and he’s already been worth 1.3 fWAR.

“I'm really happy,” Acuña said through interpreter Franco García. “It feels great to just be able to regain the form and the ability to play at the level that I know that I can, and to be able to do the things that I know I'm capable of doing.”

“I'm really liking penciling that name in the top of the order, I know that,” Snitker said.

Snitker mentioned the live at-bats Acuña did get during Spring Training and on his rehab assignment, and Acuña agreed they were helpful in him hitting the ground running once he returned.

“I love where he's at right now,” Snitker said. “He's having really good at-bats and [making] great decisions. And you know what? When a guy like that gets going, you just kind of wait for him to start carrying you.”

A four-time All-Star and 2023 National League MVP, Acuña does have the ability to carry Atlanta for stretches. Even still, the Braves are only 5-13 with him back. Clearly, they need more than just Acuña to claw back in the standings.

That’s where a performance like Schwellenbach’s comes in.

The 25-year-old righty tossed eight shutout innings on April 4, and though he didn’t get a chance to finish, he felt he had more left in the tank. That prepared him for this situation, he said, and when Snitker asked how he felt after the eighth, Schwellenbach’s response was clear: “I told him that I wanted it.”

Schwellenbach needed just 105 pitches to get through nine (impressive considering the nine punchouts), and he attacked Milwaukee with four-seamers on over half his offerings. That pitch averaged 98.2 mph, a full tick above its season average, and he hit 98-plus multiple times in the ninth.

“It looked like his delivery was synced up, and he probably could have pitched all day, really,” Snitker said. “I mean, he was just kind of playing catch at 98-99 [mph].”

Schwellenbach consistently gives the Braves length, and 11 of his 14 outings this season have been quality starts. Wednesday’s complete game, especially in today’s pitching environment, was a testament to just how good he can be.

But Snitker has seen that in Schwellenbach since last season, when he faced some tough offenses down the stretch and, said Snitker, “Went toe to toe with all of them.”

“He's that guy,” Snitker added. “I think he's built that way.”

This was Atlanta’s first series win since taking two of three in Boston from May 16-18, which the team followed with six consecutive series losses. The Braves’ two wins came from great pitching and strong, timely hitting.

They’re nine games under .500, though, and they’re double-digit games back in the division.

It’s unrealistic to ask for Acuña’s numbers in Milwaukee every series or a lot more complete games. But to make up ground, the all-around performances need to become more of the norm.