- ABC News
- September 1, 2023
LOS ANGELES -- Ronald Acuña Jr. flipped his bat and beat his chest, reveling in the silence of a stunned opposing crowd. His second-inning grand slam from Dodger Stadium on Thursday night had extended the Atlanta Braves' early lead against the only team that comes close to matching their dominance within the National League. It also brought him to history in emphatic fashion. Acuña's latest homer, off Los Angeles Dodgers right-hander Lance Lynn, made him the first player in baseball history to amass at least 30 home runs and 60 stolen bases in a single season. He did it on the final day of August, with an entire month still ahead of him. And he did it while squaring off against Mookie Betts and Freddie Freeman, the two men challenging him for the NL MVP Award. Acuña might have some catching up to do. The Braves' 25-year-old right fielder, with 6.5 FanGraphs wins above replacement, was third-highest in the NL. Betts (7.5) and...