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WASHINGTON (AP) — Ronald Acuña Jr. joined baseball’s unique 40-40 membership Friday evening by hitting his fortieth residence run of the season for the Atlanta Braves to go together with his 68 stolen bases.
“I’m extraordinarily pleased,” Acuña mentioned by means of a translator after Atlanta’s 9-6 victory over the Washington Nationals. “Truthfully, rounding the bases, I don’t know if I used to be extra nervous or excited.”
Acuña turned the fifth participant in main league historical past to have at the very least 40 homers and 40 steals in the identical 12 months.
The others had been Alfonso Soriano for the Nationals in 2006, Alex Rodríguez for the Seattle Mariners in 1998, Barry Bonds for the San Francisco Giants in 1996, and Jose Canseco for the Oakland Athletics in 1988.
“It’s elite firm, that’s for certain,” Braves supervisor Brian Snitker mentioned earlier than the sport. “I’m simply glad I received a entrance row seat to observe it.”
Acuña linked off left-hander Patrick Corbin main off the highest of the primary inning. It was his thirty fourth profession leadoff homer and eighth this season.
Acuña additionally doubled and scored three runs. He has hit safely in 14 of his final 15 video games, with eight homers and 15 RBIs throughout that span. His 143 runs are essentially the most since Rodríguez scored 143 in his 2007 AL MVP marketing campaign with the New York Yankees.
“He’s wholesome,” Snitker mentioned. “He wasn’t wholesome final 12 months and he has been from the get-go this 12 months. I feel that’s a product of him doing what he can do as a result of he’s wholesome once more.”
A number one contender for the NL MVP award, the 25-year-old Acuña was already the one participant in large league historical past with 30 homers and 60 stolen bases in a single season.
“It’s fairly unimaginable and simply consider what number of gamers have performed within the large leagues and my title is alone,” Acuña mentioned. “However I’m hoping, and I’m certain somebody will break that report, too.”
Acuña tore a knee ligament through the 2021 season and missed Atlanta’s run to a World Sequence title that 12 months.
He received near 40-40 in 2019 with 41 homers and 37 stolen bases. He mentioned after Friday’s recreation that quest was on his thoughts when he reached the mark Friday evening.
“I had that objective in 2019 after I was virtually in a position to get it, however my objective this season has been simply keep wholesome,” Acuña mentioned. “And fortuitously I’ve been in a position to keep wholesome.”
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