ANAHEIM — The Atlanta Braves had ace Chris Sale on the mound and reigning MVP Ronald Acuña Jr. in their clubhouse and dugout before the game. Heady stuff. So it wasn’t surprising when they came out blazing in an 11-3 win against the Los Angeles Angels, sparked by Marcell Ozuna’s first-inning three-run homer and another dominant start from Sale.
Sale strengthened his Cy Young Award frontrunner status, striking out 10 in six innings to take over the MLB strikeout lead and improve to 14-3 with a 2.62 ERA, the best record and second-best ERA among MLB qualifiers. Ozuna hit his 36th homer and raised his National League-best RBI total to 93, moving closer to his second consecutive 40-100 season.
“For me, he’s like Cy Young already — I predict it already,” Ozuna said of Sale, who would win the NL pitching Triple Crown (wins, ERA, strikeouts) if the season ended today, and likely the Cy Young Award too.
As for the hitting Triple Crown (average, homers, RBIs), Ozuna’s 3-for-3 night raised his average to .307, one point behind NL leader Luis Arráez, and he’s two homers behind NL leader Shohei Ohtani.
While it still seems unlikely the Braves would have NL MVPs in consecutive seasons, Sale thinks Ozuna deserves consideration.
“I know DH’s don’t get enough love for MVP votes or whatever, but I mean, you look at what he’s done for our team,” Sale said. “It’s been nothing short of amazing. At times he’s literally put us on his back and carried this lineup and this team to wins that we wouldn’t have had otherwise.”
BIG BEAR FOR THREE! 🐻@Delta | #BravesCountry pic.twitter.com/iWC35eTcjE
— Atlanta Braves (@Braves) August 18, 2024
Ozuna and Sale helped the Braves shake off a series-opening 3-2 loss Friday in which they went 2-for-12 with runners in scoring position. That’s been a problem most of the season — their .220 average with RISP since May 1 was fourth-lowest in the majors — but they were 5-for-9 in those situations Saturday including homers by Ozuna and Ramón Laureano, who had a two-run shot in the five-run fifth inning, immediately after Travis d’Arnaud’s two-run double.
D’Arnaud left in the seventh inning soon after being hit in the right wrist by a pitch. X-rays were negative and he’s not expected to miss more than one game, especially since the Braves are off Monday after Sunday’s series and road-trip finale.
Sale, the 35-year-old left-hander who’s turned back the clock after five injury-plagued years with the Boston Red Sox, moved to 8-0 with a 1.24 ERA in 11 career games (nine starts) against the Angels. That’s the most wins by any pitcher without a loss against them, and it’s the best ERA in 60 or more innings pitched against the Angels.
Even before the first pitch Saturday, early-arriving Braves fans at Angel Stadium saw another sight for sore eyes — Acuña.
Atlanta’s charismatic superstar was back with the Braves the past few days, at the ballpark and the swanky team hotel in Dana Point, Calif. He was as thrilled to see his teammates as they were to see him. Acuña’s been away for nearly 2 1/2 months rehabbing in Los Angeles following season-ending knee surgery on June 5 .
“I feel good, and it feels really good to be back with the guys,” said Acuña, who’s recovering from reconstruction of the left ACL that he tore May 26. He sat in the dugout in Braves gear being interviewed before the game, after hanging out with teammates. “I’ve missed them. I’ve missed this. So it feels really nice to be back.”
Acuña had a locker with his nameplate in the visitor’s clubhouse. He’s not playing and won’t until next season, but having him here meant a lot to his teammates.
“Oh, yeah,” Braves third baseman Austin Riley said, a couple of lockers over from Acuña. “What he means to the clubhouse and what he means on the field to us, and to baseball. I know he’s been out here working hard and rehabbing, trying to get it right. It’s a good sight for us to see him, and I’m sure a good little break for him just to be back with us.”
Acuña tore the ACL in his right knee a few days before the 2021 All-Star break, and he also stayed in Los Angeles for around two months rehabbing from that surgery. Both surgeries were by Dr. Neal ElAttrache, who recommends patients do the initial portion of the nearly year-long rehab under the supervision of his staff in L.A.
“I’ve been in L.A. since the operation; it’s been going really well,” Acuña said. “I feel really good. Obviously it’s been a season of highs and lows (for the Braves). I just want to encourage the fans to keep supporting the team as we’re in this playoff race.”
He’ll return to Atlanta this season, but Acuña didn’t know when.
“That’s my home,” he said of Atlanta, smiling. “So, at some point I’ll be back. I just don’t know when that’ll be. I’m just going to listen to whatever the medical staff has to say, whatever the doctors — obviously whenever they come to a decision that it’s time for me to go somewhere, I’m just gonna do what they say.”
His wife and their two young sons have been with him in L.A., and he’s relished spending so much time with them this summer, a rarity for a major-league baseball player.
“It’s been incredible,” Acuña said. “I feel like it’s been an experience that’s helped me mature as a person, as a father. And you know, I think it’s just one of those things that I would never have had the opportunity to spend that much time with them.”
Acuña’s close friend, second baseman Ozzie Albies, made the trip even though he’s on the 60-day IL recovering from a fractured wrist. Snitker was asked how nice it was seeing Acuña laughing and visiting with teammates in the clubhouse again.
You just love to see it pic.twitter.com/7Pr56cXNEC
— Bally Sports: Braves (@BravesOnBally) August 18, 2024
“Just like when we brought Ozzie with us — having your guys here is great,” Snitker said. “Just can’t wait till he’s coming in there and messing with everybody, then coming out here and playing. But I’m sure it’s really good for him to see all the guys, because he’s been away a long time since that surgery and doing his rehab. I’m sure he was looking forward to seeing all the guys.”
Acuña returned from his previous torn ACL in less than 10 months, coming off the IL a little sooner than expected April 28, 2022, after telling trainers and team officials how good he felt and how badly he wanted to play. If he were to follow a similar rehab schedule this time, he would be back around Opening Day 2024.
However, Acuña reiterated something Saturday that he said just before this latest surgery — that he would be smart about it, and wait until doctors tell him it’s time. Not like in 2022, when he pushed to get back, then had lingering soreness off and on throughout the season and didn’t feel comfortable rotating on the knee.
He had to have some days off and got fluid drained from the knee that year, and he had the worst season of his career, batting .266 with 15 homers and a .764 OPS in 119 games. But the following year in 2023, a fully recovered Acuña had not just the best season of his career, but one of the best by any player in history, batting .337 with 41 homers, leading the majors with 73 stolen bases and a .416 OBP, and leading the NL with a 1.012 OPS.
This time around, Acuña aims to avoid the struggles he endured in 2022 by being more patient in his rehab and listening. He’s motivated to get back better than ever and win another MVP award.
“I think the important thing is just to feel good, and to feel right,” he said. “And obviously I’m anticipating not going through some of those similar things that I did in 2022. I think this time’s going to be different. More so than anything, just wait until the doctor says I’m good to play, and then start playing.”
Experience has taught him things. Like letting the medical experts call the shots and say when he’s time after major surgery.
“I think in 2022 that I just felt desperate to play, so I was basically looking for any reason to go out there,” Acuña said. “So I would go out there even when I was feeling sore or not feeling good. So I think this go-around I’m gonna really try and make sure I’m at 100 percent before I sort of push the envelope or try to go out there.”
For now, he’ll be watching and pulling for the Braves.
“When you see the guys struggling like that, obviously you get that sense of frustration and you want to be able to help out,” he said. “But I have the utmost confidence in this group of guys, and I think at the end of it all they’re going to be the ones that come out on top.”
(Photo of Chris Sale: John Cordes / Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)
