The Atlanta Braves enjoyed a bloop-filled inning and a couple of blasts to secure an 8-2 victory over the Pittsburgh Pirates in front of a sellout crowd at Truist Park.

The game initially featured a duel between All-Star pitchers, with Pittsburgh Pirates’ Mitch Keller facing off against Atlanta’s Bryce Elder. However, Keller endured his worst statistical performance, allowing a career-high 12 hits and conceding eight runs in five innings on 95 pitches.

On the other hand, Bryce Elder (12-4) demonstrated his prowess, giving up only two runs on four hits and one walk while striking out nine, just one short of his career record. The Pirates struggled with runners in scoring position against Elder, going 1 for 8. The Braves made their mark in the third inning, loading the bases with singles from Ronald Acuna Jr., Matt Olson, and Marcell Ozuna. A series of bloops added four runs to their tally, with Eddie Rosario’s hit to left field driving in the first run. Travis d’Arnaud followed with another bloop to left, bringing in two more runs, and Orlando Arcia added to the total with a two-out bloop to left, extending the lead to 4-0.

In the fourth inning, Acuna crushed Keller’s first-pitch fastball for a 455-foot home run, his 35th of the season. Following a hit-by-pitch for Olson, Rosario launched a two-out, two-run homer to right, increasing the lead to 7-0. The Braves continued their offensive display in the fifth inning, with Arcia doubling down the third base line and scoring on Acuna’s single to right. Acuna had an impressive game, going 3 for 4 with two RBIs, two runs scored, and also reaching base on an error.

The Pirates finally managed to score against Elder in the sixth inning, with Ke’Bryan Hayes hitting a two-out double to left and Jack Suwinski launching a two-run homer to right, reducing the deficit to 8-2. Despite the loss, the Pirates found a silver lining in their bullpen, with rookie relievers Jose Hernandez and Hunter Stratton combining for three scoreless innings to contain the Braves.