Acuña Jr. Smacks 2-Run Home Run To Lift Braves Over Yankees
NEW YORK (AP) — Ronald Acuna Jr. hit a two-run homer in the 11th inning that nicked the glove of a leaping Aaron Judge in right field, and the Atlanta Braves beat the New York Yankees 5-3 on Monday night in a matchup between the top teams in each league.
Johan Camargo homered early and Jesse Biddle pitched out of a late jam for the NL East leaders, who followed up a three-game sweep in St. Louis with their fourth consecutive victory.
The 20-year-old Acuna also doubled and drove in three runs, four years to the day after the touted rookie signed with the Braves (49-34).
Judge hit his 23rd homer for the Yankees (54-28), and second in two nights. Gleyber Torres had three hits and scored twice, but the rookie second baseman's 10th error since he was called up from the minors April 22 helped Atlanta get started in the 11th.
Playing on the outfield grass, Torres booted Nick Markakis' leadoff grounder. One out later, Acuna lofted a 1-2 pitch from David Robertson (5-3) the other way. Judge, all 6-foot-7 of him, got in good position at the auxiliary scoreboard and jumped, but the ball glanced off the tip of his webbing and cleared the wall.
Robertson slumped near the mound and an excited Acuna, playing his first game at Yankee Stadium, circled the bases with his seventh home run.
A.J. Minter got three outs for his fourth save.
New York, which stranded 12 runners, had the bases loaded with one out in the 10th before Biddle (2-0) struck out Greg Bird and Austin Romine on seven pitches. The left-hander fanned four in two scoreless innings.
Aroldis Chapman struck out the side in the ninth for the Yankees, hitting 104 mph on the stadium radar gun to oohs and aahs from the crowd of 43,792. Dellin Betances retired slugger Freddie Freeman with runners at the corners to end the top of the 10th.
Judge hit a pop-fly homer the opposite way into the front row of the right-field porch in the first. Camargo answered with a leadoff shot in the third against rookie starter Jonathan Loaisiga, who was sent to the minors right after the game.
Both home runs came on 0-2 pitches.
Torres doubled to start the bottom of the third and came around on a pair of wild pitches by Anibal Sanchez, who allowed three runs in six innings.
Three straight doubles by Nick Markakis, Kurt Suzuki and Acuna accounted for two runs and gave Atlanta a 3-2 lead in the fourth. Suzuki and Acuna hit shots just inside third base.
Torres' single and two consecutive walks by Sanchez loaded the bases in the fifth for Didi Gregorius, who tied it with a sacrifice fly.
ALL IN THE FAMILY
With the international signing period open, the Yankees landed the younger brother of ace pitcher Luis Severino. Rafael Severino is a 19-year-old right-hander from the Dominican Republic who will start out at the club's academy there.
"Yippee. Sign me up for that," manager Aaron Boone said. "Definitely good to have another Severino in the mix."
The elder Severino, who is 13-2 with a 1.98 ERA, leads the majors in wins and the AL in ERA. He said he was excited, and happily delivered the news to his kid brother.
"He was flipping out. He didn't believe it," Luis Severino told reporters. "I think he's going to be really good."
The older Severino said his sibling doesn't yet possess the same fastball he does. "He's really skinny," Luis Severino said. "When he gets stronger, he's going to throw hard. ... I'm just glad that he's got the opportunity to be somebody."
TRAINER'S ROOM
Braves: Reliever Peter Moylan was placed on the 10-day disabled list with a strained right forearm and RHP Matt Wisler was optioned to Triple-A Gwinnett. OF Michael Reed and RHP Evan Phillips were called up from Triple-A. ... Arodys Vizcaino (right shoulder inflammation) threw a bullpen and could come off the disabled list Tuesday. Vizcaino, who has 15 saves, has been sidelined since June 21.
Yankees: RHP Masahiro Tanaka (two strained hamstrings) threw a bullpen and is scheduled to make a rehab start Wednesday for Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre. If all goes well, he could rejoin the team early next week in Baltimore — perhaps in time to pitch in a July 9 doubleheader. ... As a precaution, catcher Austin Romine was out of the starting lineup for the second consecutive night. Romine, who exited Saturday's game with tightness in his left hamstring, entered on defense in the ninth after Kyle Higashioka was pulled for a pinch hitter. Romine will likely start one of the next two games, Boone said.
UP NEXT
Braves LHP Sean Newcomb (8-2, 2.71 ERA) starts the middle game of the series Tuesday night against rookie RHP Domingo German (2-4, 5.32 ERA).
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