BOSTON — Atlanta Braves manager Walt Weiss said Ronald Acuña Jr.’s swing to deliver the fourth grand slam of his MLB career was “a thing of beauty.”
Chris Sale’s performance for the team on the mound was more grit than gem, but Weiss saw plenty to admire in that, too — especially as part of an ultimately dominant win for the Braves, who bounced back from an ugly loss a day earlier and avoided what would have been a second straight series loss for the first time this season.
Acuña went deep to turn a tight matchup into a blowout, and Sale struck out eight batters in five innings against his former team as the Braves defeated the Red Sox 10-2 on Thursday. Atlanta took two of three games in the interleague series at Fenway Park, winning 7-6 on Tuesday before losing 8-0 while being outhit 15-5 on Wednesday.
Atlanta improved to 15-2-1 overall in series this year.
“It’s a good win. Tough place to win a series,” Weiss said in his postgame news conference. “… Big inning there in the sixth, and we put together some good at-bats. … Lot of good things happened.”
Acuña cleared the Green Monster in left field after pinch-hitter Mike Yastrzemski — the grandson of Red Sox great Carl Yastrzemski — drew a bases-loaded walk to break a 2-all tie in the sixth inning. Acuña, a five-time MLB All-Star and the 2023 National League MVP, connected off reliever Greg Weissert for his third home run this season but first since April 24.
“We’ve got a few guys who have been working through some things and trying to figure it out,” Weiss said. “Yeah, it’s a thing of beauty when Ronnie hits a ball like that. It’s such a pretty swing, and the ball just jumps, so that’s a big one. Good for Ronnie.”
Sale (8-3) improved to 3-0 against the Red Sox since they traded their former ace to Atlanta before the 2024 season, when he became the NL Cy Young Award winner. The 37-year-old left-hander, who received his ninth MLB All-Star nod last summer, allowed two runs on six hits and walked three batters in the series finale.
Weiss said Sale gave the Braves “what they needed” by keeping them in position to win.
“Chris really fought for five innings,” Weiss said. “A lot of foul balls, a lot of deep counts. Didn’t look like he had his best slider today, but he’s still good as anybody without his best stuff.”
Michael Harris II launched a solo homer in the seventh for Atlanta, which has the best record in the majors at 38-19 but had lost three of its past four games entering Thursday. Ozzie Albies added a two-run shot in the ninth, his third hit of the day for the Braves, who have an 8 1/2-game lead over the second-place Philadelphia Phillies in the NL East Division.
The Red Sox (23-32), last in the American League East, wrapped up a 1-5 homestand and fell to 9-19 at Fenway Park this season. Chants of “Sell the team!” broke out after Harris hit his 13th homer of the season.
Boston reliever Danny Coulombe (0-2) didn’t get an out in the sixth and was charged with three of the six runs the Braves scored in the inning.
Red Sox starter Payton Tolle struck out seven batters in 4 2/3 innings. Boston erased a 2-0 deficit in the fourth with an RBI double from Caleb Durbin and a run-scoring single by Jarren Duran.
Atlanta scored twice in the fourth. Jorge Mateo lined a shot that deflected off Tolle and went for an RBI single. Dominic Smith followed with a bloop single to shallow left field that scored Albies, who doubled earlier in the inning.
“Ozzie keeps doing it, man,” Weiss said. “You know, he’s having a really good year, and it’s good to see that, too.”
Before the game, Boston placed reliever Garrett Whitlock on the 15-day injured list with left knee inflammation and recalled left-hander Tyler Samaniego from Triple-A Worcester.
The Braves remain on the road to begin a three-game series against the NL Central’s Cincinnati Reds (29-26). Atlanta’s scheduled starting pitcher for Friday’s opener at Great American Ball Park is right-hander Grant Holmes (3-2, 3.78 ERA), while the Reds will counter with right-hander Chris Paddack (0-6, 6.86).