KISSIMMEE  http://www.yankeesfanproshop.com/authentic-giancarlo-stanton -jersey , Fla. (AP) ¡ª When Ronald Acuna Jr. returned to the Atlanta clubhouse, Braves star Freddie Freeman playfully told the NL Rookie of the Year there still was work to do.¡°You should have kept going,¡± Freeman kidded, ¡°and gone for the cycle.¡±Acuna went 3 for 3 with a long home run and double off St. Louis opening day starter Miles Mikolas in Atlanta¡¯s 5-0 exhibition win Tuesday. Good enough that former Braves great Dale Murphy sheepishly asked Acuna for his autograph, demonstrating the stature the 21-year-old outfielder has achieved after less than a full season in the big leagues.¡°I¡¯ve felt good from the day we started camp, but as the games progressed I¡¯ve felt even better,¡± Acuna said through a translator. ¡°I think with these last at-bats, just a little extra patience has gone into it. I¡¯ve had good at-bats even if the results weren¡¯t what we would have wanted, but things are progressing quickly and we kind of see the results now.¡±Acuna hit .293 with 26 home runs in 111 games last year, helping the Braves win the NL East after four straight losing seasons. His three homers are among nine hits in 25 at-bats this spring.The Braves open the season March 28 at Philadelphia. Last year, Acuna was not brought up to the majors until April 25.¡°I¡¯ve been anxious for the season to start since we got here to camp. I¡¯ve felt ready, I¡¯ve been wanting this to happen,¡± he said. ¡°When the season starts is out of my control. All I can control is how I go about my business.¡±AROUND THE GRAPEFRUIT AND CACTUS LEAGUES:ASTROS SUSPENSIONInjured Houston pitcher Francis Martes has been suspended for 80 games following a positive test for the banned performance-enhancing drug Clomiphene. The 23-year-old righty made his major league debut in 2017 and went 5-2 with a 5.80 ERA in four starts and 28 relief appearances for the Astros, striking out 69 and walking 31 in 54 1/3 innings. He had Tommy John surgery last August and was expected to miss most or all of this season.NATIONALS 5, ASTROS 3Carter Kieboom homered twice against Houston¡¯s Justin Verlander. Nationals right-hander Stephen Strasburg allowed two runs and five hits, struck out six and walked four in 4 2/3 innings.Verlander was charged with four runs and six hits in five innings.YANKEES 8, ORIOLES 7Aaron Judge, Brett Gardner and Kyle Higashioka homered for New York, and Miguel Andujar had three hits. Aroldis Chapman struck out one and walked one during a scoreless fifth inning.GIANTS 4, BREWERS 2 Brett Gardner Jersey , 5 INNINGSSan Francisco ace Madison Bumgarner pitched five innings of two-run ball. He struck out four and walked none.Brandon Belt homered for the Giants, and Gerardo Parra had two hits.Yasmani Grandal had two hits for Milwaukee. Zach Davies allowed four runs and six hits in 3 2/3 innings.REDS (SS) 12, CUBS 3Cincinnati right-hander Tyler Mahle struck out five while pitching three scoreless innings. Kyle Farmer, Connor Joe and Courtney Hawkins homered for the Reds.Cubs right-hander Tyler Chatwood walked three in 1 1/3 innings. He was charged with two earned runs and two hits.BRAVES 5, CARDINALS 0Rookie Bryse Wilson, bidding for a spot in the Braves¡¯ rotation, gave up one hit and struck out five in four innings. Mikolas was knocked around for five runs and eight hits in five innings.MARLINS 8, METS 1Miami starter Trevor Richards pitched five shutout innings and struck out six.NL Cy Young Award winner Jacob deGrom allowed two runs ¡ª on a homer by Brian Anderson ¡ª in five innings. He struck out six in his fourth spring start.Tim Tebow was reassigned to minor league camp by the Mets after hitting .267 with one RBI in eight spring training games. The 31-year-old outfielder and former Heisman Trophy winner and NFL quarterback is expected to start the season at Triple-A Syracuse.TIGERS 4, RED SOX 3Jody Mercer hit a two-run homer off Boston¡¯s David Price. Detroit starter Daniel Norris threw three scoreless innings. Closer Shane Greene pitched a perfect fourth inning.Blake Swihart had an RBI double in Boston¡¯s three-run ninth.TWINS 10, PIRATES 4Tyler Austin homered and singled and Jorge Polanco had an RBI double for Minnesota.Jameson Taillon, set to pitch on opening day for Pittsburgh, made his first spring training start and allowed three runs and five hits in four innings.RAYS 2, BLUE JAYS 1Toronto starter Aaron Sanchez gave up one hit in four shutout innings. Teoscar Hernandez singled, scored and is batting .520 for the Blue Jays.Joey Wendle doubled in a run and scored for Tampa Bay. Kevin Kiermaier singled in the other Rays run. PHOENIX (AP) ¡ª All those swings, all those at-bats are paying off now for Keston Hiura.The Milwaukee Brewers prospect who began working with a hitting coach when he was 9 connected for his first spring training home run on Friday, a two-run drive off veteran big leaguer Ricky Nolasco of Arizona.¡°He¡¯s a good hitter and took a breaking ball right there, first pitch breaking ball, and jumped on it,¡± Brewers manager Craig Counsell said.Hiura was undrafted out of high school, but he kept hitting at the UC Irvine  http://www.yankeesfanproshop.com/authentic-giancarlo-stanton -jersey , batting .442 his junior year. That got the Brewers¡¯ attention, and he was the first round draft pick in 2017.¡°College was, by far, helpful, and not only on the baseball field but off the field as well, learning about myself, learning about life,¡± the 22-year-old infielder said.Brewers infielder Mauricio Dubon heard about Hiura¡¯s collegiate exploits from his father, who saw some UC Irvine games.¡°He can hit, oh my goodness,¡± Dubon said. ¡°My dad told me before he came into pro ball that Keston can hit. He hasn¡¯t disappointed.¡±Many years ago, Hiura met hitting coach Sean Thompson through a friend. The emphasis was on hitting to the opposite side of the field.¡°I was always grateful I learned how to do that at a younger age,¡± the right-handed Hiura said. ¡°I always felt it was harder to learn how to hit to the opposite field later in your career versus early in your career.¡±As he got older, he got stronger and the power numbers developed. An elbow injury limited Hiura during the regular season last year ¡ª he batted a combined .293 with 52 extra-base hits in 73 games at Double-A and a High A level. He then competed in the Arizona Fall League and batted .323 with five home runs and 33 RBIs in 23 games.¡°For me and for the Brewers as well, the big thing was to get as many reps as I can,¡± Hiura said. ¡°The Fall League was some of the best baseball memories of my life. It¡¯s a very laid back atmosphere ¡ª you can have fun. You¡¯re playing with players from other organizations, you¡¯re enjoying yourself and your time there.¡±This is Hiura¡¯s second big league spring training camp with the Brewers and Counsell is hoping he takes advantage of every at-bat.¡°He¡¯s just a player who needs to be out there,¡± Counsell said. ¡°You have to trust and believe that Keston will improve as he gets reps and exposure. Keston needs to swing at the slider down to know that¡¯s not going to work. Every player needs to go through that, they really do. You need to swing at that pitch to lay off that pitch. It¡¯s a simple thing but it¡¯s how you get better.¡±Counsell has seen Hiura handle challenges well this spring.¡°When I think of Keston¡¯s at-bats against good pitching, I like to challenge him and see how he processes those at-bats Brian Roberts Jersey ,¡± Counsell said. ¡°He¡¯s been very consistent this spring and we¡¯ve been able to be more consistent with his work. The goal is to put him in a healthy place at the start of the year and right now that¡¯s where we¡¯re at.¡±While Hiura is still getting comfortable at second base, Counsell says it¡¯s a good fit.¡°He doesn¡¯t have the arm strength that some guys have and we know that,¡± Counsell said. ¡°As far as making plays and getting the ball, I¡¯ve always been pretty comfortable with him.¡±It¡¯s Hiura¡¯s hitting talents that stand out for his teammates.¡°A lot of us go out there, and especially in spring training, more than the season, you worry about mechanics, getting this right, getting that right,¡± Brewers outfield prospect Corey Ray said. ¡°He just gets out of bed and he¡¯s had the same swing since he was 9. You go out there and get reps and you hit and can focus more on approach and what pitch you¡¯re going to get and actually seeing the baseball and not worry about where your hands are or where your feet are and it makes you a better hitter.¡°I think he just knows his swing,¡± Ray said. ¡°As a baseball player, when you know your swing, the more you know your swing, the better you can focus on seeing the baseball. The better you can see the baseball, the better you¡¯ll be.¡±When Hiura started working with Thompson in California as a kid, he wasn¡¯t thinking about making it to the big leagues.¡°At that age, you¡¯re just having fun and enjoying time with friends and playing as many sports as you can,¡± Hiura said.