Braves fall to Marlins 6-2 on June 21, but 20-year-old Didier Fuentes makes history as the youngest starter since 1969 in his MLB debut. Recap the historic day.
StatPro MLB Beat Reporter
It wasn't the win Atlanta was hoping for, but Saturday's 6-2 loss to the Marlins offered something more significant: a look into the future. All eyes were on 20-year-old Didier Fuentes, who took the mound for his Major League debut, becoming not only the youngest active player in baseball but the youngest Braves starter since 1969. It was a day of mixed results, but one that signaled a new chapter for the Braves' pitching rotation.
At just 20 years old, Didier Fuentes became the youngest Braves starter to take the mound since 1969.
Called up from Triple-A Gwinnett just hours before the game, Didier Fuentes was thrown right into the fire. The youngster showed flashes of his potential, but also experienced the growing pains of facing big-league hitters. His final line saw him go five innings, allowing four runs on six hits while striking out three. The big blow came in the third inning when Marlins rookie Agustín Ramírez launched a 436-foot, three-run homer that gave Miami a commanding 4-0 lead. While the home run stung, Fuentes's composure and historic debut provided a major storyline on a day the Braves would otherwise want to forget.
While the team struggled to string together hits against Marlins starter Janson Junk, a couple of Braves mainstays continued to produce. Matt Olson, the model of consistency, extended his MLB-leading on-base streak to an incredible 21 games with a timely RBI single. Meanwhile, Ronald Acuña Jr. seems to love hitting in Miami, as he went 2-for-4 to push his hitting streak at loanDepot park to nine straight games. He even added his second stolen base of the season, showing flashes of the electrifying player fans know and love. Austin Riley also contributed with a solo shot in the eighth, but it was too little, too late.
The game was largely decided by that one big swing in the third inning. The Marlins' four-run frame off Fuentes put the Braves in a hole they couldn't climb out of. Atlanta scratched a run across in the fourth on Olson's single, but Miami's Janson Junk was effective through five innings, limiting the damage. The Braves' offense remained quiet until Riley's solo homer in the eighth, but the Marlins had already tacked on insurance runs, cementing the 6-2 final and dropping the Braves to 33-39 on the season.
The loss stings, pushing the Braves further under .500. But Saturday wasn't just about one game. It was about seeing a 20-year-old arm get his first taste of the majors and watching veterans like Olson and Acuña continue to shine. The challenge now is to put it all together. The Braves will look to salvage a game in the series finale tomorrow, hoping to build on the few positives from today and turn this glimpse of the future into wins for the present.
