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Ronald Acuna explains what happened with viral podcast drama as Braves postseason run ends

The Atlanta Braves were eliminated from the postseason Wednesday evening following a 4-1 defeat against the Los Angeles Dodgers in Game 4 of the National League Division Series, concluding their 2026 campaign. The Dodgers secured the series victory in four games, holding Atlanta to eight runs, a .145 batting average, and a .501 OPS across the matchup.

On the field, Ronald Acuna Jr. went hitless in Game 4 and left multiple runners stranded on a late groundout.

In Game 3, Atlanta designated Acuna as the designated hitter, an alignment change publicized roughly 90 minutes before the opening pitch, while Lane Thomas stepped in to play right field. The Braves struggled to convert scoring chances throughout the series, finishing 1-for-23 with runners in scoring position.

That mark represents the second-lowest batting average with runners in scoring position, with a minimum of 20 at-bats, in any postseason series in Major League Baseball history, trailing only the Dodgers' 0-for-22 showing in the 1966 World Series.

The Braves managed pitching setbacks all season, seeing four starting pitchers go down in Spring Training and three more exit in September before bringing in Tyler Mahle, labeled arguably the top Trade Deadline addition this season. In Game 4, Mahle worked into the seventh inning of a 1-1 tie, having surrendered an unearned run when Mauricio Dubon failed to secure a routine pop fly off the bat of Max Muncy.

Mahle departed with one runner aboard and one out in the seventh on 85 total pitches, having shown a four-seam fastball velocity of 94.9 mph during the sixth inning.

Manager Walt Weiss turned to Didier Fuentes out of the bullpen after Teoscar Hernandez hit a seventh-inning single. Fuentes had completed 3 2/3 scoreless innings on 47 pitches against Los Angeles on Sunday, when his 25 four-seamers averaged 99.7 mph.

On Wednesday, Fuentes threw only four strikes across 14 pitches, and his five four-seam fastballs averaged 95.9 mph. Following the loss, Weiss said, 'You always are [disappointed] when you're not the last team standing.

There's only one team that goes home happy at the end of the year. But I’ve talked all year about how proud I am of this group.

This doesn’t change anything.'

This report also draws on coverage from MLB.com, House That Hank Built, New York Post, Sportsnet.ca.

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