Ronald Acuna Jr. Is Batting .161 and the Braves Still Think They're About to Go Off

The Atlanta Braves are one win away from something they haven't done since 2018: three straight series wins to open the season. They roll into Phoenix on Sunday looking to close out Arizona with a sweep mindset, even though their superstar is ice cold right now and nobody seems particularly panicked about it.

Acuna's Slump Isn't Slowing Down Atlanta's Confidence

Ronald Acuna Jr. is hitting .161 through nine games. That's not a typo. That's a brutal, unwanted surprise for a team that expects him to carry the offense. First-year manager Walt Weiss isn't losing sleep over it though. "His swing looks kind of late," Weiss said. "But they all go through ruts. We've seen all these guys go through ruts before. When he gets rolling, it's going to be fun to watch. But he seems kind of late to me, right now."

Translation: it's early, and when Acuna finds his timing, watch out. The Braves took two of three from the Royals and Athletics to start the year, and if they beat Arizona on Sunday, they'll match their last three-series win streak from 2018. That matters in April.

Pitching Is Carrying Atlanta Right Now

Atlanta's arms have been ridiculous. The staff has allowed just three earned runs across the last four games, which is the kind of dominance that wins ballgames when the lineup isn't firing on all cylinders yet. The Braves outscored Arizona 19-2 across their first two wins of the series before dropping Saturday 2-1.

Veteran Martin Perez gets the ball Sunday. The 35-year-old signed a minor league deal in January and got his contract selected by Atlanta as a dependable left-handed starter. He threw 4 1/3 scoreless innings in relief against Oakland on Tuesday and is heading toward the 280th start of his career. He'll be making his fourth appearance ever against the Diamondbacks, though his history isn't pretty: 0-2 with a 6.43 ERA in three previous outings.

"He's just a crafty veteran," Weiss said of Perez. "He knows how to pitch. He's a salty veteran. He's been a good pitcher in this league for a long time. He threw the ball really well for us in that relief appearance last time out, so I expect him to be good again."

Arizona's Offense Is a Real Problem

Arizona swept Detroit to start the homestand but is limping through the at-bat box. The Diamondbacks are batting just .204 and haven't scored more than two runs in any of the last four games. Manager Torey Lovullo knows exactly what the issue is: too much swinging, not enough thinking.

"If we zone in, try not to do too much, wait for our pitch, it's the art of hitting and the beauty of baseball," Lovullo said. "When you do it, it's sweet music. When you chase, you get yourself into bad counts."

Rookie Jose Fernandez has been Arizona's bright spot, batting .333 with two home runs. On Sunday, Brandon Pfaadt (0-0, 7.50 ERA) takes the mound looking to bounce back after allowing five runs in six innings against Detroit on Tuesday. He's 2-0 with a 5.66 ERA against Atlanta in his career.

First pitch Sunday afternoon in Phoenix. One win separates Atlanta from something special to start the year.

This article was created with AI assistance and reviewed by Seattle On Tap editorial staff. Always verify information with official team sources.