Braves tie season record with 307 homers, going deep 3 times in 10-9 loss to Nationals
Sun, Oct 1, 2023
MLB News (AP)
ATLANTA (AP) - The Atlanta Braves homered three times to tie the major league season record of 307 but lost their regular-season finale 10-9 to the Washington Nationals on Sunday as Jacob Young drove in two runs with a go-ahead single in the ninth.
Marcell Ozuna homered twice, reaching 40 with a ninth-inning drive off Kyle Finnegan in the ninth. Atlanta matched the season record set by the 2019 Minnesota Twins' record. The Braves set a major league record with a .501 slugging percentage,
Atlanta finished a major league-best 104-58 and opens the Division Series on Oct. 7 against Philadelphia or Miami and has scheduled intrasquad games from Tuesday through Thursday. The Braves also topped 100 wins last year, going 101-61 and losing to the Phillies in the Division Series.
Washington was last in the NL East for the fourth straight season, improving to 71-91 from 55-107.
Michael Tonkin (7-3) blew an 8-7 lead in the ninth, issuing a bases-loaded walk to Drew Milas that tied the score. Young followed with the two-run single.
Finnegan also gave up a double to Michael Harris II but finished the ninth for his 28th save in 36 chances.
Orlando Arcia's run-scoring single off Hunter Harvey (4-4) in the eighth gave Atlanta a one-run lead.
Braves manager Brian Snitker orchestrated an opportunity for MVP candidate Ronald Acuna Jr. to receive an ovation in the second inning.
Acuna, who on Wednesday night became the first player to hit at least 40 homers and steal at least 70 bases in a season, took his position in right field to open the inning. Snitker then sent out Kevin Pillar to replace Acuna. who received the ovation as he tipped his cap to fans on his return to the dugout.
Acuna, who struck out in his only at-bat, hit .337 with 41 homers, 106 RBIs and major league-leading totals of 73 steals, 217 hits, 149 runs and 383 total bases.
CJ Abrams' two stolen bases gave him a Nationals-record 47.
TRAINER'S ROOM
LHP Max Fried (left index finger blister) is scheduled to throw on Tuesday in the first intrasquad game. Snitker said the plan could change. When asked if Fried would have tape on the finger where he has had a blister, Snitker said "That's to be determined." If Fried throws without difficulty, he could be on pace to start in one of the first two games of the NL Division Series. ... RHP Charlie Morton (right index finger inflammation) was away from the team for a family emergency but "should be able to go" if the Braves advance to the NLCS. ... The Braves placed RHP Jackson Stephens (right elbow inflammation) on 15-day injured list, retroactive to Saturday, to clear a spot for Dodd's recall.
TRUIST PARK RECORD
The Braves set a Truist Park record with attendance of 3,191,505, including Sunday's sellout of 40,697, The old record was 3,129,931 last season, following Atlanta's 2021 World Series title. The Braves had 54 sellouts in 81 home games.
UP NEXT
Nationals: Washington will open its 2024 spring training schedule on Feb. 24 against Houston at their West Palm Beach, Florida facility.
Braves: The Braves host the Marlins or Phillies in their postseason opener Oct. 7.
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AP MLB: https://apnews.com/hub/mlb
