Ronald Acuña slides into Miguel Rojas Mandatory Credit: Thomas Shea-USA TODAY Sports
The Marlins and Braves drama will not end after Game 1
The NLDS took a very literal form this season, as both match-ups mimic the divisional setting. In the Marlins and Braves first game, Ronald Acuña and Sandy Alcantara nearly started some drama after the Braves outfielder was hit by a pitch. The Marlins have made a habit of plunking Acuña, a well-known fact to most Braves supporters. Because of this, Acuña stepped forward to have a word with Alcantara, who didn’t take kindly to the brazen nature of his foe.
Alcantara stated he wasn’t afraid of Acuña postgame, and those are fightin words in today’s MLB. While MLB pushes forward the “let the kids play” slogan, the old guard frantically tries to hold onto power. This is where the Marlins come in, as they try to pain Acuña as a dirty player on social media.
Was Acuña at fault for this slide?
It sure seems like it. Acuña’s cleat came up high on the infielder’s shin, and nearly took out his knee. We’re going to assume he’s fine in this case, assuming he’s cracking jokes after the fact, but it could’ve been much worse for the Marlins middle infielder.
Acuña shouldn’t expect retribution in the form of a HBP, especially given that’s a free base-runner in a playoff game. The Marlins plunking him serves little to no purpose other than starting a brawl and inducing fines.
Miami should be far more concerned with the Braves offensive explosion in Game 1 than getting revenge on Acuña. The storylines aren’t doing them any favors, though.