NL DIVISION SERIES: BRAVES VS DODGERS

October 4, 2026

Ronald Acuña

Dodger Stadium

Atlanta Braves

Pregame 2 Press Conference

Q. When did you learn that Chris Sale is not starting tonight, and what was your reaction?

RONALD ACUNA JR.: I don't know what I'm going to say about this because I can't control that. I can control what I can control. So today we go out and try to win. I'm doing my best, my team too, and we'll see what happens today.

Q. Take us through the mentality when you don't have a guy like Sale on the mound and it's another bullpen game, how much ownership does that give you guys in the lineup to feel like you've got to win the game more than having to rely on Sale?

RONALD ACUNA JR.: I believe in my teammates, in the bullpen too. They do a really good job during all the season, so let's see what happens today. I would say I believe in my teammates. I think today they do a really good job.

Q. Everything's magnified in the postseason. It's small sample sizes, but how frustrating is it when you're facing good pitching and not putting up the numbers you want to put up?

RONALD ACUNA JR.: I love it when I face the pitchers that are superstars. Every time I go to the plate to compete, we're trying to win, so I'm doing my best. As you know, these pitches, they're nasty ball. We need to compete, every single pitch. So let's see what happens.

Q. How have you felt about your at-bats? You've had a lot of hard-hit balls just go right at guys, it seems like, this postseason.

RONALD ACUNA JR.: For me personally, I think they're good at-bat. So I can't control where the ball is going, outfield or any other place. So I do my best every single pitch, every single at-bat. So I'm trying to win today.

Q. It's been five years since Freddie left the Braves but first time you guys are facing him in the playoffs. Is there a different feeling going up against him in the playoffs than in the regular season?

RONALD ACUNA JR.: Yeah, yeah, October is different, different feeling than regular season. When you play in the postseason, the crowd, you feel the crowd from the first pitch. That doesn't happen in the regular season.

Q. For Ozzie the second half of the season didn't go the way he would want it to, but he's had a huge postseason for you guys with the homers. How nice is it to see him have that success, especially with that bond you guys have together?

RONALD ACUNA JR.: Sometimes everybody on the team, we are human. We're not robots. Every time we go out, we try to compete, do the best for our team. Sometimes you play good; sometimes you play, you know -- the ball is hard sometimes, but we need to try to win today. That's the most important thing.