The Braves are still chasing a sweep of the Dodgers on Thursday, and they’re doing it with the offense rolling. Ronald Acuna Jr., though, has been fighting it.
Through nine at-bats in the series, Acuna has only one hit and has struck out three times. Then came the defensive play that drew plenty of attention on Wednesday, when Shohei Ohtani ripped a ball down the line past first baseman Matt Olson and the throw caromed off the board straight to Acuna.
Acuna gathered it with Ohtani already between first and second, and it looked for a beat like the Dodgers slugger would be held to a single. But Acuna paused before making his move, and that hesitation gave Ohtani just enough time to keep going and turn it into a double.
Before Thursday’s series finale, Braves manager Walt Weiss addressed the play and pushed back on the idea that it was all on Acuna. Weiss said Acuna was trying to throw to first, but Olson wasn’t covering the bag, which created the hesitation and the confusion. That left Weiss pointing some of the blame at Olson as well, per Jesus Cano of The Athletic.
In the immediate aftermath, the play was viewed as another Acuna miscue, another sign of the indecision that has dogged him. That kind of storyline has followed him through the second half of his career as lower-body injuries have taken a toll on his defensive effectiveness as he moves toward his 30s. Baseball Savant has him at minus-5 in fielding run value this year.
Weiss, though, made it clear he doesn’t see this one as a simple one-man mistake. And on a play like that, the difference matters.
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