Vaughn Grissom didn’t open the season as the Braves’ shortstop – as he hoped he would – but he’s had some nice moments at the plate since replacing the injured Orlando Arcia, who suffered a microfracture in his left wrist.
Grissom was a key contributor in Wednesday’s 6-4 win over the Marlins, a contest in which the Braves erased a four-run deficit over the span of three innings. Grissom had an RBI single in the sixth and produced the go-ahead run with another single in the eighth, part of a four-run inning.
“I feel like I need (those pressure situations) these days, it’s the only time I get a hit,” Grissom said. “It feels good to be successful in that situation. It seems like when you really focus down and have a real plan, a steady plan that often works out for the team.”
Indeed, Grissom has fared better in those spots. He’s 6-for-11 with runners in scoring position; he’s 2-for-23 with the bases empty.
Grissom’s two-hit effort was his third multi-hit performance in 11 games since returning to the majors April 14. The questions surrounding Grissom often are centered on his defense – and there have been mixed results there – but he’s helped the Braves at the plate.
The 22-year-old, who made his debut in August, is hitting .293 (12-for-41) with six RBIs. Only one of those hits has gone for extra bases, but Grissom is off to a nice start as he tries to establish himself in the bigs. He was hitting .344 (15-for-41) in 10 games for Triple-A Gwinnett before Arcia’s injury opened a door for Grissom.
“He’s really been taking advantage of his at-bats and opportunities,” outfielder Eddie Rosario said via team interpreter Franco Garcia. “He’s been putting good at-bats together. I’m really happy for him.”
Manager Brian Snitker: “(Grissom) puts the ball in play. He doesn’t strike out a lot and puts the ball in play. That’s a pretty nice trait for a guy early in their careers. If their bat-to-ball skills are pretty good then a lot of the other things come with maturity.”
Rotation’s streak ends
Starter Bryce Elder was charged four runs against the Marlins on Wednesday, ending an impressive streak by the Braves’ rotation. Braves starters had allowed three earned runs or fewer in each of their previous 12 starts.
During that stretch, the rotation went 8-4 with a 1.88 ERA (15 earned runs in 71-2/3 innings). It held opponents to a .201 average.
Acuna celebrates anniversary
Five years before Wednesday, Braves outfielder Ronald Acuna blasted his first career home run. He was called up after the Braves lost the first two contests of a four-game series in Cincinnati. In his second game, he had a three-hit performance that was capped off by that homer. He belted a 3-1 fastball from Reds righty Homer Bailey into the left-field seats.
The Braves won both games after promoting Acuna. He’s been a spark for them since.
Acuna celebrated the five-year anniversary of his first homer Wednesday by cranking a 442-foot shot off Marlins ace Sandy Alcantara in the sixth inning. It was the Braves’ first run and began a four-run rally that resulted in the team’s third straight victory over the Marlins, a team Acuna has pummeled in his career.
“We’re trying to figure out (how he’s a spark) too because we all want some of that,” Grissom said. “He’s absolutely electric up there. I can’t imagine any team that wants to pitch to that guy. So I don’t know what it is, but let’s try to figure it out so we can all, one through nine, put the fear of God into pitchers like he does.”
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