ATLANTA — Ozzie Albies hit home runs from both sides of the plate and Ronald Acuña Jr. led off with his major league-best 15th homer as the Atlanta Braves again showed off their power game and beat the Pittsburgh Pirates 6-1 on Saturday.
After Acuña hit one of Atlanta’s two grand slams to lead a seven-homer attack in a 20-1 rout of the Pirates on Friday night, he didn’t wait to keep the offense rolling. With fans in the sellout crowd of 40,068 still arriving, Acuña pulled Mitch Keller’s first-pitch fastball over the left-field wall.
Acuña hustled out of the box as there was no certainty the line drive was going to clear the fence. He slowed down for the rest of his home-run trot.
It was his 22nd career leadoff shot, extending his franchise record, including three this season.
Albies added a two-run shot in the fifth as a left-handed hitter. He hit another homer, his ninth, from the right side off Sam Howard in the seventh. It marked the 14th time in Braves history a player homered from both sides of the plate, including twice by Albies.
Bryse Wilson (2-2) allowed one run on five hits in 6 2/3 innings, the longest start of his career. Wilson, 23, was recalled from Triple-A Gwinnett for his fifth start of the season.
Freddie Freeman followed Acuña’s homer with a single before stealing second and scoring on Austin Riley’s two-out single.
Ender Inciarte singled in the second, moved to second when Wilson was hit by a pitch and scored on Freeman’s single for a 3-0 lead.,
Michael Pérez hit a homer off Wilson in the third.
Keller (2-6) gave up five runs on eight hits in five innings.
Wilson was lifted with two outs in the seventh after giving up singles to Will Craig and Wilmer Difo. A.J. Minter struck out Pérez to end the inning.
Braves right-hander Luke Jackson walked Will Craig to open the ninth and gave up a one-out single to Wilmer Difo before pinch-hitter Ildemaro Vargas grounded out to end the game.
TRAINER’S ROOM
Pirates: 3B Ke’Bryan Hayes, on the 60-day IL with a left wrist strain, began his rehab assignment with Triple-A Indianapolis. He is eligible to return on June 3. “He’s missed enough time that we have to build him back up,” said manager Derek Shelton. … RHP Trevor Cahill was placed on the 10-day IL with left side discomfort. Shelton said no decision has been made on who will fill Cahill’s next scheduled start on Tuesday against the Chicago Cubs. RHP Kyle Crick (right triceps) was activated off the 10-day IL.
Braves: RHP Shane Greene, who re-signed with Atlanta on May 9, was scheduled to make his first appearance for Triple-A Gwinnett on Saturday night. Greene, 32, had a 2.60 ERA in 28 games with Atlanta in 2020. … RHP Jacob Webb was optioned to Gwinnett to clear a roster spot for Wilson, who was recalled before the game.
UP NEXT
Pirates RHP JT Brubaker (3-3, 3.27) will face Braves LHP Max Fried (1-2, 5.46) on Sunday when the four-game series ends.
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