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Sparks were flying between Ronald Acuna Jr. and Johan Oviedo during the Atlanta Braves-Pittsburgh Pirates game on Saturday. The pair got into a heated exchange that led to a benches-clearing situation. Oviedo has since spoken out against Acuna calling him out for his antics.
The incident occurred early on in the second game of the series between the Atlanta Braves and the Pittsburgh Pirates. During the very first at-bat for the Braves with Ronald Acuna Jr. on the plate, Johan Oviedo threw a few fastballs on the inside that the Braves star took an exception to.
With the count at 2-1, Oviedo's 95 mph fastball just missed Acuna who gave a strong look towards the mound. The Pirates starter gave it back as both players walked towards each other and exchanged some heated words. Benches cleared as others tried to seperate the pair and get them far away from each other.
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It took some time before both the players returned to their usual places. Acuna took another pitch on the inside on a 3-1 count to earn a leadoff walk. Moments later he tried to steal second base but was picked off for the first out of the game.
After the game, Oviedo had a lot to say about the argument and proceded to call the Braves outfielder's mannerisms as soft and uncalled for.
"Baseball has become a little bit soft. No one wants to get fastballs in. It's part of the game. You're going to get fastballs in," Johan Oviedo said.
Ronald Acuna Jr. wins the battle against Johan Oviedo despite Braves loss
The duo faced off a further two times in the game. In the third innings, Ronald Acuna Jr. got a single before he was walked again in similar fashion in the fourth with a few balls that were on the inside.
The NL MVP contender gave another side eye look to his opponent who just laughed it away at the mound. Oviedo received major boos from the Atlanta crowd and was taken off his pitching duties after 3.2 innings. However, things ended well for his team as the Pirates silenced the stadium for an 8-4 win.
