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Watch: Braves Launch Back-to-Back Homers in Offensive Explosion
Atlanta Braves outfielder Ronald Acuña Jr. Bill Streicher-Imagn Images

The Atlanta Braves have struggled to score runs lately. But Thursday, the team received instant offense with back-to-back long balls in the sixth inning.

First, right fielder Ronald Acuña Jr. hit a 111 mph line drive just over the brick wall in right field.

Then one pitch later, catcher Drake Baldwin smashed a 391-foot bomb to the Chop House seats.

Acuña's homer came against a hanging curveball in a full count. The offspeed pitch was on the outer half versus the right-handed Acuña, but the 2023 MVP showcased his power to the opposite field.

According to MLB statcast, Baldwin hit his homer on a slider, which was about knee-high but in the middle of the plate.

Baldwin now has seven home runs this season. Acuña's bomb was his fourth since returning from the injured list on May 23.

The back-to-back homers from Acuña and Baldwin marked the sixth time this season the Braves posted home runs in consecutive at-bats. It was the first time Atlanta's offense did it since May 22 against the Washington Nationals.

Third baseman Austin Riley also homered for the Braves in the fifth inning. Riley has 11 bombs this season.

All three home runs for Atlanta were without anyone on base. That's been an issue for the Braves this season -- most of the team's homers have been with the bases empty.

But in the third inning, the Braves recorded four straight hits with runners in scoring position to build a six-run lead.

In the bottom of the seventh, the Braves lead the Diamondbacks 9-3.

Atlanta entered Thursday having lost 10 of its past 13 games. The Braves lost the first two games of the series versus Arizona on Tuesday and Wednesday.

After Thursday's game, the Braves will fly to Northern California for a weekend series versus the San Francisco Giants.


This article first appeared on Atlanta Braves on SI and was syndicated with permission.

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