Wednesday’s game drew Braves’ highest TV rating in five-plus years

The Braves scored their highest local TV rating in more than five years for Wednesday night’s win over the Miami Marlins. 

The game averaged a 5.99 rating in the Atlanta TV market on Fox Sports Southeast, the best for a Braves game since opening night of the 2013 season. 

About 147,000 Atlanta households watched Wednesday’s game on average. 

Many of them may have tuned in because of rookie outfielder Ronald Acuna’s home-run streak, but Acuna’s exit from the game after he was hit by the Marlins’ first pitch of the night didn’t cause a drop-off in viewership. In fact, the audience peaked at a season-high 7.29 rating (179,000 households) from 9:45-10 p.m. 

Much of the audience also stuck around for the postgame show, during which Braves manager Brian Snitker discussed Marlins pitcher Jose Urena hitting Acuna with a 97-mph fastball. The postgame show delivered a 4.86 rating, by far its highest this year.

For the season, Braves games on Fox Sports South and Fox Sports Southeast are averaging a 3.19 rating, up 55 percent from the same point last season.