ATLANTA (AP) -- Ronald Acuna Jr. hit his seventh leadoff homer of the season and scored the tiebreaking run in a four-run eighth inning to help the NL East-leading Atlanta Braves beat the Pittsburgh Pirates 5-1 on Sunday.
The 20-year-old Acuna singled off Steven Brault to begin the eighth, advanced on a bunt and scored from second on a headfirst slide after second baseman Kevin Newman errantly let Freddie Freeman's hard grounder bounce between his legs and roll into shallow right field.
Acuna's first-inning shot was his 23rd overall and tied the franchise record for leadoff homers that Marquis Grissom set in 1996.