Atlanta Braves just saw Acuña destroy a baseball for 1st career HR

Not a cheap one – Ronald Acuña just killed a baseball that has brought out the superlatives from all over

The Atlanta Braves lead Cincinnati early in the fourth inning today by a 2-0 count.  But that second run just opened a lot of sleepy eyes around the league.

Let’s start with the stats:

I imagine that there are already a few folks questioning the distance.  It went multiple rows up in the upper deck of the Great American Ball Park… retrieved by a very happy Braves fan who apparently either was prescient or hadn’t figured out that plenty of empty seats are available down lower.

Here was Kelsey’s view of the dugout experience – and the aftermath:

Figures he’d hit it off of a guy named “Homer”.  But that’s just the start of the numbers:

Kevin McAlpin and Gabe Burns – and maybe that Braves fan who now has the ball – had this figured out earlier:

Meanwhile…

Sean Newcomb is actually enjoying some success on the mound as well – despite CB Bucknor calling his pitches:  4 strikeouts … make that 5… after his first trip through the order.  Now six as he punches out Billy Hamilton for the second time.

So that’s 3 innings, 0 BB, 6 K, and 1 hit.

But with all this euphoria about our newest arrival, check this quick – and kinda scary – story from Yahoo’s Jeff Passan:

"“Ronald Acuña told me in spring training was really, really, really close to signing with the Kansas City Royals.  Alcides Escobar is his cousin and had encouraged it.Then on July 2, Acuña said, the Braves called and offered more money.  They signed him that day for $100,000.”"

Wow.  That close… July 2nd was the opening date of the International Market, and thus this was a total last-minute “get” for the Braves.

Dayton Moore is probably furious now.

Next: More about Acuña’s big first day

Acuña flied out to deep center field in his second AB today.