The Atlanta Braves and their manager had plenty of reasons to be unhappy on Wednesday night, even after completing their first four-game sweep of the Miami Marlins since 2006.
Seeing slugging rookie Ronald Acuna Jr, who had been on a home run streak, hit by Jose Urena’s first pitch led to two melees on the field and more unrest in the clubhouse.
Dansby Swanson filled the power void left by Acuna’s exit, hitting a two-run homer that led the Braves to a 5-2 win over Miami.
Photo: Dale Zanine-USA TODAY
Acuna, who had hit leadoff homers in the past three games and homered in five straight games overall, did not get a chance to extend the streak. Urena plunked him on the left elbow with a fastball.
X-rays of Acuna’s elbow were negative and the results of further tests were to be announced at a later date, the Braves said.
Benches and bullpens for both teams emptied onto the field twice after the pitch. No punches were thrown. Urena and Braves manager Brian Snitker were ejected.
“He’s been swinging the ball incredibly well, obviously,” Braves first baseman Freddie Freeman said of Acuna. “It just makes no sense. It was just completely classless on Jose Urena’s part.”
Snitker, Freeman and other Braves players said they believe Urena intended to hit Acuna.
Marlins manager Don Mattingly said the umpires also believed Urena tried to hit the Braves rookie, but Mattingly was upset that his pitcher was not ejected until Snitker came on the field for the second time.
“If you think he’s done it on purpose, then throw him out right away,” Mattingly said.
Urena said he was only trying to throw the pitch inside.
“I made the bad pitch,” Urena said. “I missed my spot inside on the corner the way I wanted to start with him. I tried to get inside to move him.”
Paul Nauert, the third base umpire and crew chief, said the decision to eject Urena was delayed, because “we wanted to make sure as a crew we were all on the same page... When we got together as a crew, it was decided by the crew that yes, he should have been ejected. So that’s what we did.”
An angry Snitker was near the front of the line of Braves players charging out of the dugout toward the mound. His emotions started to rise again following the game.
“I’m not sure I’ve ever felt like that in a baseball uniform,” Snitker said, adding that Acuna “didn’t deserve that... I’ve had three hours to calm down and all of a sudden I’m not real good right now.”
Acuna became the 11th batter to be hit by a pitch from Urena this season, tied for the most in the National League.
Acuna left the game in the second inning, taking his position in left field and before walking off.
As he was forced from the game after being hit by the pitch in his only plate appearance, Acuna would be eligible to continue his three-game streak of leadoff homers in his next game.
Kevin Gausman (7-9) allowed two runs in six innings, while A.J. Minter pitched a perfect ninth for his 11th save in 12 opportunities.
Elieser Hernandez, who replaced Urena, allowed two hits in three scoreless innings.
The Braves trailed 2-0 before scoring three runs off left-hander Jarlin Garcia (1-2) in the fourth.
Charlie Culberson, who doubled, scored from third on Ender Inciarte’s grounder to first base.
After Tyler Flowers walked, Swanson cleared the center field wall with his 10th homer.
Culberson had three hits, including two doubles. Inciarte, who had a run-scoring single in the sixth, drove in two runs.
Starlin Castro led off Miami’s fourth with his 10th homer into the seats in right field.
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