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PITTSBURGH -- Ronald Acuña Jr. was lost for the season in the Braves' 8-1 win over the Pittsburgh Pirates in the first inning on Sunday after he injured his left knee in the first inning, and Atlanta won behind Chris Sale.
Acuña, the reigning NL MVP, led off with a double to right-center field off Martín Pérez. With Marcell Ozuna at the plate, Acuña started toward third on a stolen base attempt and his left knee gave way. Acuña remained down for several minutes while being treated, pointing at his left leg before walking off under his own power.
Wearing a brace on his knee in the clubhouse, Acuña said he was to have an MRI on Sunday night and expected to be placed on the 10-day injured list. But the team announced Sunday night that the MRI showed a complete ACL tear that will require season-ending surgery
"I got scared a lot because I felt the pain in the beginning," Acuña said through a translator.
Acuña was sidelined in 2018 between May 27 and June 29 with sprained ACL, bruised left knee and bruised back when the knee buckled as he tried to beat out an infield hit at Boston. Acuña tore his right ACL on July 20, 2021.
Jarred Kelenic went 3 for 4 in place of Acuña, a 26-year-old outfielder batting .250 with four home runs and 15 RBIs in 49 games.
Sale (8-1) allowed four hits over seven innings, struck out eight and allowed one run. It was another impressive outing for the 35-year-old left-hander, who has regained the form that earned him seven straight All-Star selections from 2012-18 before a string of injuries.
"Just doing what I need to do," Sale said. "We all have our part on the team. Just posting every fifth day and trying to keep runs off the board. … Take every start, you want to win. Had a couple rough ones over the last couple days. You want to end on a good note heading back home."
Matt Olson had three RBIs with a home run and a double to salvage the final game of the three-game series.
Pérez allowed one run, four hits and two walks in three innings before a left groin injury. The 33-year-old left-hander was checked after Kelenic beat him to first for a one-out single in the third. He then allowed an RBI double from Ozzie Albies that tied the score 1-1.
Pittsburgh also lost catcher Joey Bart, removed after the first inning and replaced by Yasmani Grandal because of a left thumb injury.
"Very, very strange," Pirates manager Derek Shelton said of the three injuries in the first three innings. "The Acuña thing, I actually didn't even see it happen. I watched the replay. … That was a little concerning for a guy that's as talented (as he is) in our game, the way he went down. Then with Joey and Martín, yeah, I don't think I've ever seen that."
Shelton said he expects to have more information on Pérez and Bart today.
Grandal had put Pittsburgh ahead with an RBI single in the second.
Travis d'Arnaud doubled off Carmen Mlodzinski (0-2) in the fourth and scored on Orlando Arcia's sacrifice fly. Olson extended the lead to 4-1 an inning later on a two-run double.
Leading off the eighth, Olson drove a fastball from Aroldis Chapman 420 feet into the Allegheny River beyond the Clemente Wall in right. Duvall homered 428 feet into the left-field bleachers off Chapman two batters later, giving the Braves a five-run cushion.
"Just kind of nice to see us break out and score a few runs," Atlanta manager Brian Snitker said. "Been kind of tough. It's great to see Matt have that kind of day and Jarred swung the bat really well. That was really good."
Saturday's game
Mitch Keller pitched into the seventh inning, Nick Gonzales delivered an RBI double and the Pirates beat the Braves, 4-1, on Saturday.
Keller (6-3) kept Atlanta in check for 6ª innings to win his fourth consecutive start. The right-hander gave up one run on six hits with four strikeouts and no walks. Keller is 4-0 with a 1.30 ERA in May and has worked at least five innings in each of his last 42 starts, the longest active streak in the majors.
"I think (I'm) just filling the zone up, attacking guys, getting ahead and staying ahead, using the full mix of my arsenal," Keller said. "I've got a lot of pitches, so the more I can use it, the more it keeps them off-balance."
Perhaps just as importantly against the Braves, Keller returned to the mound following a 30-minute rain delay in the fifth. He worked through the middle of Atlanta's order in the sixth and got the first two outs of the seventh before being lifted after hitting Zack Short.
"I was hoping he'd get us three outs and the fact that he got us five outs was huge," Pirates manager Derek Shelton said of Keller. "That's the story of the game. How sharp he was."
Bryan Reynolds had two hits for Pittsburgh, including a run-scoring single in the seventh that gave the Pirates a little breathing room on a day they wore throwback caps to celebrate the 45th anniversary of the 1979 team's World Series title.
Several players from that club -- including Hall of Fame pitcher Bert Blyleven, reliever Kent Tekeulve and two-time National League MVP Dave Parker -- were honored before the first pitch.
Trainer's room
Pirates: 3B Ke'Bryan Hayes (back) has resumed full baseball activities. It's unclear whether the Gold Glove winner, out since May 7, will need a rehab assignment before returning. … C Jason Delay (knee) is scheduled to begin a rehab stint at Triple-A Indianapolis this week.