The Atlanta Braves' run in the MLB Playoffs has come to an end. The Braves faced elimination in Game 4 and needed a big offensive game from their stars. Ronald Acuna Jr. was specifically challenged to step up. Neither the Braves nor Acuna were up for the challenge, as the Dodgers won the game 4-1.
Frustration set in among the fans on Wednesday night, leading to them booing Acuna for his performance. After the game, he spoke of his performance and the fans, per Mark Bowman of MLB.com.
Article Continues Below“It’s hard because I didn’t do anything for my team or my teammates,” Acuña said. “It’s the hardest time.”
Acuña was 0-for-3 on the night with a walk and two strikeouts. He has just two hits in the series in 15 at-bats, while scoring twice and striking out four times. In the playoffs, the star outfielder hit just .125 with no extra-base hits or RBIs.
“That’s the first time that they boo me here at home, but I can’t control that,” Acuña said.
While Acuña was down on himself, his teammates still supported him, as seen in the comments made by fellow outfielder Michael Harris II.
“Obviously I know he wants to come through in those situations,” Harris said. “The playoffs are really hard because they try to take out the best players and game plan for them to be able to keep teams from catching momentum. They found ways to keep him quiet.”
The Braves are now heading into the offseason looking for answers. Since winning the World Series in 2021, the Braves have made the playoffs in four of the five seasons. Still, their only series win came this year against the Philadelphia Phillies in the wild card round. Overall, they are just 5-12 in the playoffs since 2021.