ATLANTA – Spencer Strider thought it was a foul ball. Jorbit Vivas seemed to think he could advance to third base unchallenged. And Ronald Acuña Jr. again did what would be deemed the unthinkable for most players.
Acuña showed off his arm, bat and legs as the Braves entered the season’s second half with an encouraging 7-3 win over the Yankees on Friday night at Truist Park. But the lasting highlight will be the jaw-dropping throw he made to end the third inning.
“That was like a Roberto Clemente throw,” Braves manager Brian Snitker said in reference to the Pirates Hall of Famer, who was known for his incredible arm.
At 10 games under .500 (43-53) with 66 games remaining, the Braves’ postseason chances are dim. They could soon trade Marcell Ozuna, who will be a bench player now that Snitker has decided to flip-flop Sean Murphy and Drake Baldwin between the designated hitter and catcher positions. They also have four starting pitchers on the 60-day injured list.
Still, there’s always reason to keep an eye on the Braves as long as Acuña is in position to show off his five-tool talents. The 2023 National League Most Valuable Player doubled during Atlanta’s three-run first inning and tripled before scoring on Baldwin’s two-out single in the fourth.
But this game will be best remembered for how Acuña helped Strider pitch around consecutive one-out walks to Vivas and Trent Grisham in the third. Cody Bellinger followed with a high fly ball toward the right-field corner. Strider was looking toward the plate, so he didn’t know what was transpiring behind him.
“[Acuña] confused me,” Strider said. “I was asking the umpire for another ball. I thought it was foul and out of play. So it's a good thing that the ball didn't get away at third, because I would have been nowhere near where I needed to be.
“I mean, he's a good baseball player and a good actor, too. I mean, that was a great deke.”
Acuña nonchalantly camped under the ball while facing the right-field line. This led Vivas to think he could tag and reach third without a throw.
But Acuña spun and threw a pinpoint strike that third baseman Nacho Alvarez Jr. calmly caught before tagging an unsuspecting Vivas, who didn’t slide. The throw, which Acuña called "one of the best of my career," was made without a crow-hop or any form of momentum moving toward the infield.
"I just always try to anticipate those plays," Acuña said through a translator after the game. "I was just trying to kind of get ready and thankfully I have a good arm."
“[Vivas] got deked,” Yankees manager Aaron Boone said. “That just can't happen. I did that all my career at third base, just kind of play dumb, play dead. And that's what [Vivas] read. The body language of Alvarez there, just deked him. He knew it was a deep fly ball, so it caught up to him. ...
“It's a lesson that that can't happen on a baseball field, especially in that situation.”
Acuña’s latest highlight-filled performance occurred just three days after he was overwhelmed by the support he got while serving as the NL's starting right fielder during Tuesday’s night’s All-Star Game in Atlanta. After he exited the Midsummer Classic, he was asked about the Braves’ second half.
“We’re going to go out there with a purpose,” Acuña said. “We’re going to go out there, give our best effort and put on a show for them.”
As Acuña was entertaining, his good friend Ozzie Albies distanced himself from a rough first half with a three-run homer in the third.
Albies entered the All-Star break with the sixth-worst OPS (.614) among qualified MLB players. His struggles have created debate about whether his $7 million option ($4 million buyout) should be exercised for next season. A strong second half could lengthen his stay in Atlanta.
Strider is also looking to finish the season strong and steadily move closer to where he was before he underwent season-ending right UCL surgery just two starts into the 2024 campaign. His six scoreless innings against the Yankees gave him a 2.53 ERA over his past seven starts.
Strider’s scoreless effort came with an assist from the same guy who wowed Snitker back in 2017, when the then-19-year-old Acuña was used as an extra in some Spring Training games.
“I remember [former bench coach Terry Pendleton] and I were sitting in Jupiter [Fla.] one day, and [Acuña] made a play down the line there and threw the guy out at second,” Snitker said. “I was impressed and said, ‘Who is that?’ TP said, ‘That’s Ronald.’ He’s special out there. He’s a weapon.”