The Atlanta Braves will go for their third straight win since moving Ronald Acuna Jr. to the leadoff spot when they finish a four-game series with the Arizona Diamondbacks on Sunday in Phoenix.
Acuna was 2-for-5 in the leadoff role on Saturday and improved to .328 (89-for-277) with 20 homers and 46 RBIs in 68 career games as the leadoff hitter. The 2018 National League Rookie of the Year had spent all of the season batting cleanup before Atlanta manager Brian Snitker shook up the lineup Friday.
Acuna responded by hitting a go-ahead homer in the eighth inning for a 2-1 win.
“He’s got a different look about him,” Snitker said.
Atlanta will send left-hander Max Fried (4-2, 2.97) against Arizona right-hander Zack Godley (1-2, 7.49). It will be the final meeting of the season between the teams. Arizona leads the series 4-2, but the Braves have won the past two nights, including 6-4 on Saturday.
Fried’s status was uncertain after being struck in the left hand by a line drive off the bat of the Los Angeles Dodgers’ Alex Verdugo on Tuesday. Fried wanted to stay in the game but was removed after he threw a couple of warm-up pitches. X-rays revealed no fractures.
Although Fried’s hand has been sore, he was able to throw a side session on Thursday and was cleared to make Sunday’s start.
“He was great,” Snitker said. “Everything went really well. He did everything, and everything’s going for him starting on Sunday. He had a really good side. It didn’t bother him a bit.”
Fried has been a pillar of the Atlanta rotation this season. His is coming off his roughest outing, when he worked only one inning against the Dodgers, allowing four runs. He had worked at least 5 1/3 innings in his previous six starts and had pitched seven innings against the San Diego Padres on May 1.
Fried has faced Arizona only one time and received no decision after allowing two runs in six innings against the Diamondbacks on April 16.
Godley is trying to return to the form he showed in 2018, when he started 32 games and went 15-11. He made six starts this season before being removed from the starting rotation. He has made two relief appearances since then, including earning a save with a perfect inning Wednesday in a 3-2 win at Tampa Bay in 13 innings. He struck out two.
“It felt amazing,” Godley said after the game. “Everything felt smooth. Everything felt like it was coming out really well, so it was awesome and I’m glad we could come away with a win.”
Godley’s last start came on April 27 against the Chicago Cubs, and he we knocked out after giving up five runs in 2 2/3 innings. It was the second straight start in which he failed to pitch at least five innings.
He has faced the Braves once this year and pitched well, working six innings and allowing two hits but not figuring in the decision on April 17. He is 1-1 with a 6.26 ERA in four career appearances against Atlanta.