Braves smash Pirates with 20 runs, seven homers

The Braves opened alumni weekend in grand fashion. They obliterated the Pirates 20-1 in front of a near sold-out crowd. It was a much-needed stress-free win for the Braves, who’d lost four of five.

Here are five takeaways from Friday:

1. The Braves hit seven homers, tied for their third most in one game in franchise history. Two of those blasts were grand slams by Ronald Acuna and Ehire Adrianza. They are the first team in MLB history to have at least seven homers and at least two grand slams in a single game, per StatsPerform.

“It was nice,” manager Brian Snitker said. “We’d been struggling to score runs, get hits. There were some good at-bats, going the other way. It was a good night.”

Impressively, the Braves erased their -19 run differential in one night. It’s now zero.

2. The Braves’ 14 extra-base hits (they also had seven doubles) are the most in a game in franchise history. The previous record was 13, set July 31, 1954. The team hit back-to-back homers twice, once with an Ozzie Albies-Austin Riley combination and later with Riley and Dansby Swanson. It was the 15th time since 1974 the Braves went back-to-back twice in one game. Overall, the Braves lead the majors with 72 homers this season and are on pace to set a franchise high.

“It was awesome,” said Riley, who homered twice and doubled. “It seemed like everything clicked offensively. … When this lineup clicks up and down, it’s scary. And it did tonight. Hopefully it continues and we build off that.”

Credit: HYOSUB SHIN / AJC

Credit: HYOSUB SHIN / AJC

3. On a full count, Acuna hammered a grand slam off Pirates starter Tyler Anderson in the second, opening up a 5-0 lead. It was Acuna’s 14th homer, tying him with the Angels’ Shohei Ohtani for the major-league lead.

Friday marked Acuna’s second career grand slam. His other also came against the Pirates on June 10, 2019.

4. Braves starter Ian Anderson, staked to an early lead, glided through the Pirates’ lineup with relative ease. He pitched six scoreless innings, allowing six hits and striking out six. In his past two starts, Anderson has allowed one run over 12 innings, striking out 10 and walking four.

5. The Braves padded their stats with an eight-run eighth against Pirates infielder Wilmer Difo. Difo was bad by even position-player pitching standards, walking three and allowing eight runs on six hits. The big blow came from Adrianza’s pinch-hit grand slam. It was the team’s sixth grand slam this month, setting a franchise record. The Braves lead the majors with seven grand slams.

Stat to know

20 (The Braves’ 20 runs were the most scored in a major-league game this season.)

Quotable

“It really goes to show what this team is capable of doing. It may not seem like we’re clicking right now on a daily basis, but it’s there. It’s a matter of time.” - Riley

No, no, not today

During the Braves’ explosive eighth, Acuna was preparing to hit left-handed against Difo. Snitker quickly quashed that idea. “He tried,” Snitker said. “I told him I have three grandkids I have to put through college.”

Welcome, alumni

The Braves had a parade of former players, coaches and executives before the contest to begin their alumni weekend. The alumni rode in vehicles around the field just before first pitch. Hall of Famer Chipper Jones threw the pitch to former Braves player and current broadcaster Jeff Francoeur.

Credit: HYOSUB SHIN / AJC

Credit: HYOSUB SHIN / AJC

Happy birthday, skipper

In a touching gesture, the Braves prompted their crowd to sing “Happy Birthday” for Hall of Fame manager Bobby Cox, who didn’t attend the game. Cox turned 80 on Friday.

Up next

The Braves and Pirates continue their series Saturday afternoon. Bryse Wilson will start for the Braves against Pittsburgh’s Mitch Keller.