The Braves got the win … but may not have gotten satisfaction.
And the situation may become even more inflamed going forward following some post-game comments from Miami Marlins right-hander Jose Urena.
Entering Friday, it was the worst-kept secret in baseball that the Braves wanted retribution against Urena, who hit Braves star Ronald Acuna on his left elbow with a 97-mph fastball last season.
On Friday night – the first time the Braves faced Urena since the incident – Atlanta earned a 7-2 win. In the second inning, Braves starter Kevin Gausman fired a knee-high 97-mph fastball behind Urena. The pitch missed Urena, and it got Gausman tossed.
If that pitch didn’t have ill intentions, Gausman certainly did not find the words to make his case when talking to the media.
“The umpire thought there was a reason behind it and decided to throw me out of the game,” Gausman said. “MLB is going to investigate it, and I’m not going to comment on it any further than that.”
Acuna had entered that August game on a five-game home run streak, with three of them against Miami. Urena, the Braves believe, tried to take Acuna out rather than get him out.
But Urena sees it differently.
"From the beginning, (the Braves) were saying I did it on purpose, but look at how they did it,” Urena said in Spanish. “That's the way they claim they are professional?
“I took it calmly. I told the umpire, ‘Don't take him out. Leave him in there because that is the game they want to play.’ ”
Urena, who was suspended six games by Major League Baseball last year for hitting Acuna, said his style of pitching is to attack.
“That is my game,” he said. “That is how I am authentic. I am going to do it against them and anyone else."
Asked if the situation will linger, Urena said: "As far as me, it won't. I've never had anything against them. They are the ones keeping it going."
Umpire Jeff Nelson, speaking to a pool reporter, declined to say if last year’s incident played a factor in his decision to eject Gausman.
“He was ejected for intentionally throwing at the batter,” Nelson said. “That’s where I’m going to leave that.”
Braves manager Brian Snitker tried to make the case that Gausman wasn’t trying to hit Urena because it would have loaded the bases for the Marlins’ Curtis Granderson.
“We were trying just to get out of the inning,” Snitker said. “There were no warnings before the game. I guess (the umpires) have to do what they have to do. You don’t have to agree. They are doing their job the best they can.”
Friday’s second inning somewhat overshadowed what was otherwise a pleasing game for the Braves, who were led by Brian McCann, Freddie Freeman, Josh Donaldson and Touki Toussaint.
McCann homered and had three RBIs. Freeman also homered, and Donaldson – in his first game back since a calf injury – went 3-for-5 with a double and three RBIs.
Toussaint (2-0), who entered after Gausman was ejected and inherited a two-on jam, earned the win in his first game since being recalled from Triple-A Gwinnett. He allowed one run in four innings, striking out six.
“He got ambushed,” Freeman said of Toussaint. “It’s the second inning. I don’t think anybody is ready for that, but he did a great job.”
Snitker said Toussaint was terrific.
“Once he got rolling, that fastball started to have that life that I remember, that late life down,” Snitker said. “His breaking ball was good. Some guys like that ... sit down there (in the bullpen) and then get pressed into action.”
Snitker was asked if Toussaint could get sent back down to the minors because he will be unavailable to throw for at least three days following a 76-pitch workload.
“That’s a possibility, yea, just to get somebody in here with length,” Snitker said. “I hate it for guys, but that’s where we’re at, and they are still getting experience here, and that’s the main thing.”
Snitker said Gausman – after throwing just 28 pitches – could get moved up in the rotation.
