Acuna, Soroka propel Braves past Giants

Acuna, Soroka propel Braves past Giants
Image Credit: Wikimedia Commons

Ronald Acuna Jr. hit two home runs, and rookie Mike Soroka allowed two hits over eight innings as the visiting Atlanta Braves defeated the San Francisco Giants 4-1 on Monday. Acuna was 3-for-4 with a double and a walk. He led off the game by hitting the first pitch for a home run and added a solo shot in the seventh inning, giving him 11 for the season.

It was the 10th time in his career that Acuna has opened a game with a homer. The Braves are now 8-2 since Acuna was moved back into the leadoff spot. Soroka (5-1) allowed one run -- a solo homer from Brandon Crawford in the sixth. Crawford had both San Francisco hits, the other a single in the eighth inning. Soroka struck out seven, one off his career high, and did not allow a walk. He lowered his ERA to 1.01.

The right-hander retired the first 15 batters faced before Crawford broke up the perfect game and shutout. Soroka is the first Braves starter since the live-ball era began in 1920 to open the season by allowing one earned run or none in each of his first seven starts. Left-hander Sean Newcomb worked a perfect ninth inning to earn his first career save. He struck out Steven Duggar to end the game.

San Francisco southpaw Andrew Suarez (0-1) pitched well in his season debut. Suarez, recalled Monday from Triple-A Sacramento, threw six innings and gave up three runs on four hits and four walks. He struck out five. One of the hits against Suarez was a two-run homer by rookie left fielder Austin Riley in the sixth inning. After Nick Markakis worked a two-out walk, Riley hit his third homer since being called up last Wednesday.

Two streaks ended. San Francisco's Joe Panik went 0-for-4 and saw his consecutive on-base streak end at 17 games. Atlanta's Freddie Freeman went 1-for-3 with a walk, but he saw his streak of consecutive games with a home run end at four.

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