Braves News: Ronald Acuna Jr. sends 4-word message to Ozzie Albies after his major milestone

Ronald Acuna Jr. helped the Atlanta Braves to a 7-1 win against the Milwaukee Brewers in the series opener on Monday. The win ended a seven-game losing streak for Atlanta.

Acuna blasted a game-tying solo home run, his fifth of the season, in the top of the fifth inning. His teammate Ozzie Albies went 2-for-4, driving in a run. Albies' multi-hit game took him to an impressive milestone as he registered his 1000th hit for the franchise.

Acuna reacted to the second baseman's feat after the game.

"I love you dawg," Acuna Jr. wrote on Instagram, highlighting Albies' milestone.

Ozzie Albies was signed by the Atlanta Braves as an international free agent in 2013. Since his MLB debut in 2017, the infielder has racked up three All-Star nods, two Silver Slugger awards and a World Series ring in 2021.

Albies is the second Braves player to reach the 1000-hit milestone this season, following in the footsteps of fellow infielder Matt Olson, who achieved the feat in April.

Ronald Acuna Jr. praises veteran Braves starter after dominant win

The Braves came into Monday's contest looking to avoid an eighth consecutive loss. Veteran starter Chris Sale took it upon himself to shore up the defense as the reigning NL Cy Young winner pitched seven innings, allowing just one earned run with 11 strikeouts.

"He's amazing,” Acuna said. “He's a superstar, and he's been doing this for so many years. He knows what he has to go out there and do, and it's our job to just go out there and support him and score some runs.”

While Ronald Acuna Jr. has been red-hot at the plate since his return to action last month, the Braves had lost 14 of their last 17 games before Monday. However, the former NL MVP is not giving up on his teammates.

“The last thing I'm ever going to do is lose confidence in the team,” Acuna said. “I know the kind of talent that we have on this roster, and I know what we're capable of and I think we're going to get on a little run here.”

The win improved the Braves to 28-37, but they'll need to stitch a run of wins to mount a challenge for a postseason spot.

About the author

Chaitanya Prakash is an editor who covers US Sports at Sportskeeda. His first brush with sportswriting was in 2012 when the greatest football manager of all time, Sir Alex Ferguson, bid farewell to the beautiful game.

Although having started out professionally as a cricket writer in 2022, Chaitanya's curiosity and indiscriminate interest in all sports in general eventually introduced him to America's favorite pastime.

While Chaitanya's favorite player from the current crop is the dynamic Venezuelan Ronald Acuna Jr., his all-time favorite, however, is Pedro Martinez, for his self-belief and consistency. He also rates Jose Bautista's iconic bat flip in 2015 as his favorite moment in baseball history.

Chaitanya specializes in reporting on technical aspects of the game or analyzing patterns behind specific plays. He also likes pondering over players' self-assessments following the conclusion of a game as it helps him get an idea of how they think about the sport in general.

When not cheering for his favorites across sports, Chaitanya likes being transported to the past through a good war documentary or a historical documentary in general.

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Edited by Chaitanya Prakash