The Braves were at it again on Sunday.
They scored twice in the first inning of an 8-6 win over the Brewers, with Austin Riley hitting a two-run homer to drive in Ronald Acuña Jr.
We have well documented the Braves’ first-inning production this season, but it’s time for an update after their latest exploits.
The Braves lead Major League Baseball with 109 first-inning runs. They are rapidly closing in on the franchise record for first-inning runs of 127, set in 1999. By comparison, the Dodgers are currently second with 82 first-inning runs.
The Braves also led the majors in first-inning production in hits (147), doubles (33), home runs (32), RBIs (107) and average (.337).
The Braves scored six first-inning runs in Saturday’s 11-5 win over the Brewers. It prompted manager Brian Snitker to say: “I don’t know that I’ve ever seen this at any level or any time. It’s just crazy what they do at the beginning. It just keeps on, too. It’s been a long time now that they’ve been doing this. I’ve never seen anything like that.”
Batting leadoff, Acuña has set the table for much of the scoring. He led off Sunday’s game with a single, the 52nd time he has reached to lead off a game this season. He has 38 hits, 12 walks and two hit by pitches. Of the 52 times he has reached in the first inning, Acuña has scored 32 times.
