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Atlanta Braves superstar Ronald Acuna Jr. uncorked the potential throw of the year during the team’s 7-3 win over the New York Yankees on Friday night at Truist Park.
The Braves were up 3-0 in the top of the third inning with runners on first and second with one out. The Yankees’ Cody Bellinger was up to bat as the tying run.
Bellinger hooked Braves’ starting pitcher Spencer Strider’s slider down the right field line with a sky-high fly ball. Acuna caught the fly ball a step off the warning track.
The runner on second base, Jorbit Vivas, tagged up and went to third base. As Acuna caught the ball, he turned and fired a rocket to third base off his back foot.
Acuna’s laser beam of a throw never hit the ground, and he nabbed an unsuspecting Vivas for the final out of the inning at third base.
Yankees manager Aaron Boone said Vivas was “deked” out by the Braves third baseman, Nacho Alvarez Jr., who made it seem like no throw was coming in until he caught the ball and tagged Vivas out in one swift motion.
Vivas never slid and looked thoroughly confused after being tagged out.
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“That just can’t happen. I did that all my career at third base. Just kind of play dumb, play dead. And that’s what (Vivas) read. The body language of Alvarez there, just deked him. He knew it was a deep fly ball, so it caught up to him. . . It’s a lesson that that can’t happen on a baseball field, especially in that situation,” Boone said.
The play was especially costly for the Yankees, because Aaron Judge was looming on deck and with one swing of the bat, he could have tied the game 3-3.
“His accuracy is stupid,” Braves manager Brian Snitker said of Acuna’s throw.
“He’s a weapon in right field. His arm is so strong and accurate, and the ball carries, release is good. He’s special out there.”
Acuna said that his throw came out of anticipation.
“I just always try to anticipate those plays,” Acuna said through an interpreter. That’s really what I always try to focus on, anticipating the play before it happens. I really wasn’t trying to do anything besides that. Thankfully, I have a good arm.”
The Braves (43-53) will look to build on Friday’s win when they take on the Yankees (53-44) in the second game of their three-game series on Saturday at 7:15 p.m. ET.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
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