Members of the Atlanta Braves were furious with Jose Ureña for hitting phenom Ronald Acuña with his first pitch of the game on Wednesday.
Acuña entered the game between Miami and Atlanta having homered in five straight games, including three in a row to lead off the game. Ureña decided a fourth straight homer wasn’t going to happen on his watch, so he drilled Acuña with a fastball in the elbow.
After the game, which the Braves won 5-2, Atlanta had some words for Ureña. Braves first baseman Freddie Freeman called Ureña “gutless.”
Freddie Freeman: “It was gutless. I know that wasn’t the Marlins. That was just Jose Urena. I don’t understand it. Just because a kid is having fun playing a game and having incredible success makes no sense.”
— Mark Bowman (@mlbbowman) August 16, 2018
Braves manager Brian Snitker said it was “totally uncalled for.”
#Braves’ Snitker: “It was obviously intentional…. unbelievably, totally uncalled for.”
— David O'Brien (@DOBrienATL) August 16, 2018
Ureña and Snitker were ejected from the game.
The Braves did share some positive news after the game, saying that X-rays on Acuna’s elbow were negative.
X-rays on Acuna's elbow were negative. He underwent a CT scan. Those results are pending and will be announced tomorrow.
— Mark Bowman (@mlbbowman) August 16, 2018
The hope is that the 20-year-old, who has a .922 OPS on the season, will not have to miss much time. Another positive is that his home run streak is still alive.
