Even as the Atlanta Braves have reeled off 10 wins in a row, Ronald Acuna Jr. sees that the reigning World Series champions still have not played their best baseball this season.
Acuna starred in the Braves’ 10-4 home win over the Pittsburgh Pirates on Saturday. The two-time All-Star scored twice and upped his OBP on the season to a .411 mark. Dansby Swanson and Ozzie Albies also played instrumental roles in the game, as they combined for seven RBI on the day.
The Braves moved to a 33-27 record after their 10th straight victory, and still, Acuna believes that his team has what it takes to continue to improve as the season progresses.
“There's still room to grow, too,” Acuna said in his post-game press conference. “There’s still room to improve. We’re going to keep going, keep grinding … keep playing hard, and hopefully keep winning.”
It was only on May 31 that the Braves boasted a 23-27 record in the campaign, as there was much chatter on whether they would even be in the thick of the NL wild-card race later this year. After reaching double-digits in consecutive victories, they not only currently hold the second spot in the NL wild-card standings but have also provided a lifeline to their NL East aspirations, sitting at six games back of the division leaders in the New York Mets.
The Braves will now look ahead to their series finale against the Pirates on Sunday before opening up a three-game road series with the Washington Nationals on Monday.