Braves beat the Nationals in game one 7-1

Braves win game one of the double-header with the Nationals

Braves vs. Nationals: The Braves and Nationals opened a four-game series with today’s doubleheader…The clubs split two games in Atlanta, August 17 and 18, in their only other meetings this season…The Braves went 11-8 against the Nationals last year, winning the season set for the second consecutive season…From 2015-17, the Braves went 18-39 (.316) against their N.L. East rival.

Doubleheaders: The Braves are now 5-0 in doubleheader games, having swept both of their previous doubleheaders this season (August 9 at PHI and August 26 vs. NYY)…The Braves ended their last homestand with a doubleheader against the Yankees…Per the Elias Sports Bureau, today marks just the second time since the Braves moved to Atlanta in 1966 that the club will play doubleheaders in consecutive home games….Atlanta played two games against the Phillies on July 22, 1973, before opening the next homestand with two games against the Reds on July 31.

Ronald Acuña Jr. I: Returned to the lineup today after missing the series in Boston with right hamstring tightness and drove a 1-2 pitch in the bottom of the first inning out to centerfield for the 17 leadoff home run of his career and his second of the season…That total ties Felipe Alou for the most such leadoff homers in franchise history…Alou batted first for the orginazation in 633 games…Today was Acuña Jr.’s 209 game batting leadoff for Atlanta.

Ronald Acuña Jr. II: Homered in the first and fourth innings for his fifth career multi-homer game and his second of the season… Acuña Jr.’s five multi-homer games since his debut are most on the Braves in that span, one more than Ozzie Albies, Josh Donaldson and Freddie Freeman.

Ronald Acuña Jr. III: Both of Acuña Jr.’s multi-homer games and his two leadoff home runs this season have come in doubleheaders…He hit two homers in Game 2 on August 9 at Philadelphia, and led off Game 1 on August 26 vs. the Yankees with a home run to left…In five doubleheader games this season, Acuña Jr. has nine hits, six home runs, eight runs scored and nine RBI.

Freddie Freeman: Used a first-inning single to extend his hitting streak to 17 straight games, which ties CWS’s José Abreu for the longest active run in the majors… Freeman has just two longer hitting streaks in his 11-year career...He had a 20-game streak in 2011 (7/17-8/6) and a career-best 30-game streak in 2016 (8/24-9/28).