ATLANTA — Miami Marlins right-handed pitcher Pablo Lopez, manager Don Mattingly and pitching coach Mel Stottlemyre Jr. were ejected in the bottom of the first inning of Miami’s 1-0 loss to Atlanta Braves on Friday at Truist Park when Lopez’s first pitch of the game — a 91.6-mph sinker — hit Braves outfielder Ronald Acuna Jr. in the left arm.
Crew chief and second base umpire Dan Iassogna made the call to eject Lopez following the pitch. No warnings were issued before the ejection.
Acuna stood in the batter’s box for about 10 seconds after being hit. Braves manager Brian Snitker came out of the home team dugout to argue that the hit-by-pitch was intentional. The umpires huddled together on the first-base line and ultimately decided to eject Lopez.
At that point, a slew of Marlins players and coaches came to Lopez’s defense. Shortstop Miguel Rojas and first baseman Jesus Aguilar were among the players who tried to plead their case. Mattingly and pitching coach Mel Stottlemyre Jr. emerged from the dugout to defend Lopez as well.
Mattingly and Stottlemyre’s ejections followed, but Mattingly stayed on the field for a few more minutes and gave the umpiring crew an earful before he, his pitcher and his pitching coach left the field.
Acuna getting hit by Marlins pitchers is a sore spot for the Braves, dating back bating to that Aug. 15, 2018, game when Jose Urena plunked the budding superstar. Both benches cleared that day. Snitker had to be restrained as he tried to get to Urena, who now pitches for the Detroit Tigers.
The first-inning plunk on Friday marked the sixth time a Marlins pitcher hit Acuna over 251 plate appearances, including the postseason. That’s once every 41.8 plate appearances on average. The Red Sox have hit Acuna the second most — three times in 59 plate appearances (or about once every 20 plate appearances).
Acuna has been hit 26 times in 388 career regular-season games and two more times in 21 postseason games.
Ross Detwiler took over on the mound after Lopez’s ejection and a 12-minute, 15-second delay. Acuna scored on an Ozzie Albies sacrifice fly after moving to third base on a Freddie Freeman single.
Detwiler held the Braves scoreless from there for three innings. Anthony Bender struck out all six batters he faced in the fourth and fifth innings. Richard Bleier threw a scoreless sixth inning. Anthony Bass threw a scoreless seventh inning. Dylan Floro threw a scoreless eighth inning.
But the offense failed to score a run. Miami (34-46) had five hits and drew seven walks while only managing to get five runners into scoring position.
Garrett Cooper made it to third base in the fourth inning after drawing a leadoff walk and advancing on an Adam Duvall groundout and Jesus Aguilar single. Miguel Rojas hit into a double play to end the threat.
Cooper again got into scoring position in the sixth with a two-out single followed by a Duvall walk. Aguilar hit a flyball to center field to end that inning.
In the seventh, Rojas reached on a leadoff walk and moved to second on a balk with two outs. Jesus Sanchez hit an infield single to the left side, but Braves shortstop Dansby Swanson threw out Rojas, whose foot came off the bag at third base.
And in the ninth, Miami loaded the bases with one out on an Aguilar walk (Magneuris Sierra pinch-ran), Rojas single and Jorge Alfaro walk. Jon Berti popped out. Sandy Leon, pinch-hitting for the pitcher’s spot, hit a fly ball to left field to end the game.
Meanwhile, Lopez’s final line for his 17th start of the season: One batter faced, one run allowed, one pitch.
Acuna went 0 for 3 in his final three at-bats.
