Ronald Acuña Jr. gave Atlanta the kind of late swing that changes a clubhouse on the spot, unloading a seventh-inning grand slam to carry the Braves past Houston, 6-3, on Saturday night at Daikin Park.
The blast was Acuña’s fifth career grand slam and the biggest hit in a game Atlanta needed as the National League East race moves into its final week. With seven games left, the Braves hold a six-game edge over Philadelphia.
Quick facts
- Atlanta beat the Astros 6-3 at Daikin Park.
- Acuña hit a bases-loaded homer in the seventh inning.
- The Braves can clinch the NL East with either one win or one Phillies loss.
- Acuña has six homers over his last 17 games.
- He entered Saturday batting .363 with a 1.072 OPS across his previous 20 games.
Houston turned to right-hander Bryan Abreu with the bases loaded and one out in the seventh. Abreu got Drake Baldwin on a strikeout, but his next assignment was Acuña, and a 1-0 fastball did not get past the Atlanta star.
Acuña drove it beyond the left-center-field fence, putting the Braves in front for good. It was another marker in a month that has looked far more like the 2023 National League MVP’s usual standard.
Mauricio Dubón had noticed the change before Saturday’s game. Knowing Acuña was close enough to hear him, Dubón said he had been asking to see the version of Acuña everyone recognizes.
“I’ve been telling him, ‘Let me see some Ronald Acuña stuff,’” Dubón said. “I hadn’t seen that all season. He had been hurt or not quite there. Now I’m getting to see it.”
Acuña heard the comment and laughed while passing the media group. His recent production has been loud enough on its own, especially against the Phillies, Atlanta’s closest challenger.
In seven games against Philadelphia this month, Acuña hit .464 with three home runs and a 1.377 OPS. Those games helped push the Braves toward what would be their seventh division title in nine seasons.
Atlanta’s current run traces back to Acuña’s rookie year, when the club took the 2018 NL East crown. He is no longer the young player arriving with the group; he is the established hand expected to deliver the swing when a game tilts late.
