'One word: MVP': Acuña dominates in 3-hit performance

ATLANTA -- Along with taking another step toward joining the exclusive 40-40 club, Ronald Acuña Jr. moved closer to becoming just the sixth player within the past 20 seasons to hit 35-plus homers and tally 200-plus hits in the same year.

Acuña’s record-breaking season became more impressive, as he homered in a three-hit performance that helped the Braves claim an 8-2 win over the Pirates at Truist Park on Friday night. Eddie Rosario also went deep for Atlanta as well, which stands seven homers away from matching the National League record (279) set by the 2019 Dodgers.

“There’s only one word: MVP,” Braves left fielder Eddie Rosario said.

With the Dodgers’ Mookie Betts sidelined for at least a couple days with a bruised foot, Acuña is taking advantage of the chance to have the MVP spotlight all to himself. He has homered six times within the past eight games. In the process, he has helped the Braves move closer to a sixth straight National League East title. Atlanta needs just one more win to clinch a postseason berth.

• Games remaining: vs. PIT (2), at PHI (4), at MIA (3), vs. PHI (3), at WSH (4), vs. CHC (3), vs. WSH (3)

• Standings update: The Braves lead the second-place Phillies by 15 games in the National League East race. Atlanta is currently the top NL division winner, meaning it would receive a first-round bye and face the winner of the No. 4 and No. 5 Wild Card teams in a five-game NL Division Series starting on Oct. 7.

• Magic number for postseason berth: 1; Magic number for division title: 8

Along with watching Acuña strengthen his MVP credentials, the Braves also saw Bryce Elder produce one of the better starts of his young career. The All-Star right-hander allowed two runs, scattered four hits and recorded a career-high nine strikeouts over seven innings. He ranks seventh in the NL with a 3.38 ERA, 28 starts into his first full big league season.

“I was impressed with him last year and I’m very impressed with him this year as I’m getting to know him while watching him navigate this thing,” Braves manager Brian Snitker said.

Elder received support from Rosario, who homered during a three-run fourth, and Orlando Arcia, who had three hits. But the game’s most electric lineup was once again sparked by Acuña, who is now hitting .334 with 35 homers, 190 hits, 63 stolen bases, 90 RBIs and a .999 OPS.

Acuña is three homers behind Betts, and he trails him by (.021) in the OPS category. But he has easily trumped the Dodgers outfielders’ batting average (.314), hits (162) and stolen bases (11).

“The total season is really something,” Snitker said. “He’s just having really good at-bats.”

Acuña singled to begin a four-run third inning and he homered to start a three-run seventh against Pirates starter Mitch Keller, who entered having allowed just eight runs over his past five starts. The Braves’ right fielder added a fifth-inning RBI single that scored Arcia.

Much of the focus over the past few months has been on the incredible power-speed numbers being produced by Acuña, who last weekend became the first player to ever tally 30-plus homers and 60-plus stolen bases in the same season. With six homers in his past eight games, he has increased his season homer total to 35.

Acuña needs just five more homers to produce the fifth 40-40 season in AL/NL history. But he’s already putting himself in some other exclusive clubs.

Acuña needs just 10 more hits to join Charlie Blackmon, Miguel Cabrera, Matt Holliday, Adrian Beltre and Vladimir Guerrero as the only players since the start of 2004 to hit 35-plus homers during a 200-hit season.

Hank Aaron is the only Braves player to ever produce 35 homers and 200 hits in the same season. He did it in 1959 and 1963.

With his stolen-base total, Acuña will stand alone with this group. The only players to hit 35-plus homers, tally 200-plus hits and steal 30-plus bases are Aaron (1963) Ellis Burks (1996) Larry Walker (1997), Alex Rodriguez (1998), Vladimir Guerrero (2002) and Alfonso Soriano (2002).

Aaron became the first player to reach these three marks in the same season and he remained the only player for more than thirty years. Acuña could soon become the first player to do this in more than 20 years.

If Acuña were to get to 40 homers and 200 hits, he’d become the 35th player to reach both marks in the same season and first since his childhood idol, Miguel Cabrera.

“He’s one of the best players I’ve ever seen in my life,” Rosario said. “To me, it would be like comparing him to Roberto Clemente.”