Miami. – The duel between the Atlanta Braves and the Miami Marlins was charged with tension on Wednesday afternoon, after the star Venezuelan outfielder Ronald Acuña Jr. was hit by a pitch that caused the benches to empty and the ejection of manager Brian Snitker, in the game played at
loanDepot park.
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In the third inning, a 93.3 mph sinker from pitcher Ryan Gusto hit Acuña Jr.’s left arm protector, just after Matt Olson hit a two-run home run. The contact generated the immediate annoyance of the Venezuelan, who took a few steps towards the mound before being restrained.
Although no physical confrontations occurred, both benches and bullpens emptied amid the incident. Subsequently, the umpires decided to issue a warning to both teams, a decision that unleashed Snitker’s fury, who was ejected from the game. It was the 22nd ejection of his career and the second of the current season.
“You just don’t go inside after a home run like that, because if you miss and hit the batter, things like this happen,” Snitker stated after the game.
For his part, Acuña – who has been hit by Marlins pitches on nine occasions throughout his career, more than by any other team – preferred not to speculate on Gusto’s intention. The pitcher explained that it was a pitch that moved too far inside, ruling out bad faith.
The game ended with a resounding victory for the Braves by a score of 12-1, a result that keeps the Atlanta team in good offensive rhythm after the return of their star Acuña Jr., a key piece in their aspirations for the postseason.
