Ronald Acuña showed more pop, but the Braves also made many more key plays in a 3-2 win over the Brewers on Saturday at Truist Park.

Here are five observations on Atlanta (13-16):

1. At 9:54 p.m. on Saturday, NBA star LeBron James sent a tweet about Acuña.

It read: “Yessir!!!! Went yard then hit the “Silencer”!! Ayyyyyyeee”

James was referring to this: After blasting a 420-foot home run, Acuña performed James’ celebration, which features him stomping while pressing his hands down toward the ground and beating his chest after clutch plays.

By the time he spoke to reporters, Acuña had already retweeted James’ post.

“Just super excited, emotional, very happy,” Acuña said through interpreter Franco García. “I would’ve never imagined that I would be getting tweeted at (by) him or be retweeting anything about myself from him, so really excited.”

Acuña broke a scoreless tie with the fifth-inning home run off Corbin Burnes, the reigning NL Cy Young award winner. He also led off the bottom of the first by hitting a ball off the right-field wall. He walked and stole second base later in the game.

Another positive: Saturday’s game marked the first time the superstar outfielder played in right field on back-to-back days in the majors since the Braves returned him from his rehab assignment.

2. Following Friday’s loss, Braves manager Brian Snitker said he feels like his club will win every time Max Fried is on the mound.

And once again, Fried continued pitching like an ace.

He held the Brewers to a run over seven innings. He only allowed four hits. He struck out eight, and now has a 2.68 ERA this season.

Fried issued a second-inning walk that snapped his streak of 29 consecutive innings without a walk. This was the second-longest active streak of its kind.

“He goes out there and throws out those zeroes and gives you a chance against a really tough pitcher – because you knew runs were going to be at a premium,” Braves manager Brian Snitker said.

UPDATES ON 3 KEY FORMER BRAVES

3. The Braves made a slew of great defensive plays in the victory.

Dansby Swanson had two of them. Travis Demeritte made another. And with the tying run on first with one out in the ninth, the Braves executed a strike ‘em out, throw ‘em out to end the game. Catcher Travis d’Arnaud threw out two runners on the bases.

“It’s the little things in baseball that help you win games, right?” Acuña said. “So it’s those little things that we did right that went our way, that obviously got us the game, and we have to keep executing on.”

Demeritte helped preserve a lead. With runners on second and third and two outs, Demeritte charged a shallow fly ball and dove head first to make an incredible catch that robbed the Brewers’ Christian Yelich of two RBIs.

The Braves played outstanding defense and took advantage of Milwaukee’s poor defense. In the sixth, Marcell Ozuna hit a single that turned into a triple because of Lorenzo Cain’s error in center field. Ozuna then scored when Ozzie Albies hit a single that deflected off first baseman Rowdy Tellez.

Credit: HYOSUB SHIN / AJC

Credit: HYOSUB SHIN / AJC

4. Swanson’s season has been full of terrific plays so far. made two more terrific defensive plays in a season full of them so far. He made a diving catch on a 102-mph line drive in the sixth inning, then made a diving stop and threw to first for the out to end the seventh inning.

Does he have Gold Glove potential?

“One-hundred percent,” Fried said. “To me, he’s one of the better defensive shortstops in the game. We’ve been seeing it for the last couple years. Feel like he’s just finally getting the credit for it now.”

5. In addition to throwing out two runners, including one to end the game, d’Arnaud collected a clutch hit.

In the eighth inning, he hit a two-out, two-strike RBI single off Luis Perdomo to give the Braves a two-run lead. This became the difference when Kenley Jansen, who earned the save, allowed a run to score in the ninth inning.

“He’s been putting unbelievable at-bats together at the plate,” Fried said. “Behind the plate, he’s managing and basically navigating our pitching staff. All the catchers that we have, we’re confident, but with Travis, you know that he’s going to put down the right pitch and he’s going to be leaving it all out there every day.”

Stat to know

1 in 120 - Before issuing a walk in this start, Fried had only walked one of the 120 batters he had faced this season.

Quotable

“Man, it’s unbelievable. Kind of what these guys are noted for. I told Dansby he’s going to be all over SportsCenter with the plays he was making.” - Snitker on his team’s defense

Up next

Braves right-hander Charlie Morton goes up against Brewers lefty Aaron Ashby. Sunday’s series finale begins at 1:35 p.m.