Braves rookie superstar Ronald Acuña Jr. didn’t get a chance to extend his three-game streak of leadoff homers because Marlins pitcher Jose Ureña decided to knock him out of the game instead. And he didn’t just plunk him—it was one of the fastest pitches Ureña has thrown this season and his fastest ever first pitch of a game.
This is maybe the worst thing about baseball. It’s bad enough to hit a guy because you’re mad about how he flipped his bat; it’s so much worse to put him in danger because your team isn’t good enough to get him out.