ATLANTA — Marcell Ozuna had three hits for the Atlanta Braves, including one of their four home runs in the game, and the team’s offensive resurgence continued in a 9-2 rout of the Tampa Bay Rays on Saturday.
Jarred Kelenic, in his first game batting leadoff for the Braves after a hamstring injury to Michael Harris II, was 3-for-5 with a two-run homer, third baseman Austin Riley hit a three-run homer in the eighth inning, and first baseman Matt Olson hit a solo shot for his 11th homer of the season.
In addition to taking over at the top of the lineup, Kelenic stepped into center field for Harris, who exited early in Friday night’s game against the Rays.
“He can assume this role,” Braves manager Brian Snitker said. “He can run, he can steal a base, he’s a really good outfielder. … He’s done what we brought him in to do. I’ve been more than pleased with his defensive abilities. Now we’re going to ask him to do a little more than we thought. If he’s going to do it, he’s ready for it now.”
Kelenic was traded to the Braves by the Seattle Mariners over the winter and platooned in left field with Adam Duvall earlier this season. Duvall moved to right field when reigning National League MVP Ronald Acuña Jr. sustained a season-ending knee injury last month, leaving Kelenic to hold down left. Acuña had also been batting leadoff before getting hurt.
Harris has a Grade 2 hamstring strain, Snitker said, and the team placed him on the 10-day injured list with the expectation he will be there longer.
Ahead of Saturday’s game, the Braves promoted veteran outfielder Ramón Laureano and started him in right field. Laureano was released by the Cleveland Guardians in May after hitting just .143 in 31 games, but he hit .362 with Triple-A Gwinnett in 14 games. He was 1-for-4 on Saturday.
Atlanta starting pitcher Charlie Morton (4-3) allowed one run on three hits over six innings while striking out eight batters, walking two and hitting two. He also picked a runner off first.
“They are a good matchup for me if I can make my pitches,” the 40-year-old right-hander said of the Rays, one of his former teams.
Ryan Pepiot (4-4) took his first road loss of the season for the Rays, who have lost seven of their past nine games. He gave up five runs on six hits, walked three batters and struck out four.
Pepiot started with four scoreless innings, then ran into trouble with two outs in the fifth. The Braves touched him for three home runs, and he was unable to get out of the inning.
“I thought he threw the ball really really well,” Tampa Bay manager Kevin Cash said. “The changeup to Kelenic, I think it was a 3-2 changeup, he was looking for a strike right there. Kelenic swung the bat well today and got a hold of them. After that fastball, (Pepiot) certainly could be gassed in the condition that he was pitching in. He kind of overthrew some pitches, and they kind of made us pay.”
Ozuna’s shot came during the three-homer barrage that broke open the game. With the Rays leading 1-0, Kelenic lifted one to right field that barely cleared the wall. After Ozzie Albies walked, Ozuna hit his homer 423 feet to center, and then Olson followed with his solo shot.
Ozuna’s two RBIs gave him an NL-leading 62 for the season.
“Once we took the lead right there and knowing I had the big guys coming up behind me, we can capitalize with a big inning there,” Kelenic said.
Atlanta’s lineup, the most prolific in the majors in 2023 — including 307 home runs to tie the MLB single-season recod — struggled through last month and the beginning of June, and the team was hoping the bats would warm up along with the weather. Saturday, the temperature in Atlanta hit 94 degrees, and the Braves had their first four-home run game since April 19. They have scored 22 runs in their past three games after scoring just 16 in seven games previous to that.
The Rays scored in the first inning when Josh Lowe drove in Brandon Lowe with a sacrifice fly. Randy Arozarena added a solo home run in the ninth. Braves pitchers combined to strike out 12 batters.
The Braves will go for a three-game sweep at Truist Park on Sunday, when the scheduled starting pitchers are both right-handers. Atlanta will give the ball to rookie Hurston Waldrep (0-1, 17.18 ERA) for his second MLB start, while the Rays will counter with Zach Eflin (3-4, 4.06) in the finale.