What a day! Acuña gets married, then creates 30-60 club with grand slam

LOS ANGELES -- Ronald Acuña Jr. becoming the first member of the 30-60 club didn’t sneak up on anybody. But the Braves' superstar getting married the same day he realized this great achievement certainly did.

“I didn’t mention anything to anyone,” Acuña said through an interpreter. “It was kind of like a surprise.”

Kevin Pillar and Michael Harris II were among the teammates who joked their wedding invitations must have been lost in the mail. But they’ve all had a front-row seat as Acuña has routinely amazed, just as he did while helping the Braves hold on to beat the Dodgers, 8-7, on Thursday night at Dodger Stadium.

Acuña’s second-inning grand slam made him the first player in AL/NL history to record 30-plus homers and 60-plus steals in a season, just two days after he stole two bases to join the 20-60 club.

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“I feel privileged,” Acuña said. “I thank God for letting me play the game I love every single day. It’s not just about me. It’s about my teammates and the fanbase. We all share this moment.”

As anticipated, the opener of this four-game series was filled with excitement. The National League's top two teams staged a thriller, as Acuña and Mookie Betts showed why they both currently stand as the top two candidates for the NL MVP Award.

“I’m not playing against Ronald Acuña," said Betts after answering Acuña's exploits with two homers of his own. "I'm playing against the Braves. We’re trying to beat the Braves. He’s great. Awesome person. Take absolutely nothing away from him. But I’m not playing against him.”

This series could determine which of these teams earns home-field advantage throughout the NL portion of the postseason. The Braves now hold a five-game lead over the Dodgers for the NL's best record, with 29 games remaining.

Acuña’s slam off Dodgers starter Lance Lynn helped build an early 6-1 lead for Spencer Strider, who was constructing an impressive outing before allowing the first of Betts’ two home runs. Betts' three-run shot in the fifth inning barely eluded a leaping Acuña’s glove.

“I thought I had it because the ball tipped the glove,” Acuña said. “Just a little late and a little behind.”

Still, even with Betts adding to his NL-best OPS and WAR on the night, the Braves managed to win for just the fourth time in the past 16 games at Dodger Stadium dating back to 2018 -- including the postseason.

Austin Riley and Harris contributed homers, but the big early burst was supplied by Acuña, who has 30 homers and 62 stolen bases with a month’s worth of games remaining. He could possibly produce the fifth 40-40 season in AL/NL history or at least also invent the 30-70 club.

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Eric Davis (1987) and Barry Bonds (1990) had been the only players to steal 50-plus bases during a 30-homer season, but with the first 30-60 season on record, Acuña has topped that feat.

The next potential milestone in sight? A 40-40 season, which has been accomplished just four times: Jose Canseco (1988), Barry Bonds (1996), Alex Rodriguez (1998) and Alfonso Soriano (2006).

Acuña was three steals shy of joining this club in 2019, when he hit a career-high 41 homers at just 21 years old.

“If they said anybody would do it, I knew it'd be Ronnie,” Harris said. “It's kind of crazy that he got married and became the first player in history to do that on the same day. It's a pretty big day for him.”

Acuña and the Braves left Denver after Wednesday night’s game against the Rockies and got to their Los Angeles-area hotel around 2:30 a.m. Acuña slept for a while before traveling about 45 minutes outside of town to a ranch with a mountainous background, where he and his wife, Maria, tied the knot.

The ceremony was scheduled just days before Maria, under terms of her Venezuelan visa, would have been required to leave the United States, Acuña told ESPN.com. Had that happened, she would not have been allowed to return to the US for three months. By then, the postseason would have been over.

“We have such a beautiful family with two young boys growing up,” Acuña said. “I just pray to God that we can stay healthy and continue to grow as a family.”

This was a day Acuña isn’t going to forget. And it was a day Raisel Iglesias was motivated to end in fitting fashion, as he produced a scoreless ninth while pitching a third straight day for just the third time this year.

“That gave me some extra focus because I felt that this beautiful moment deserved to be celebrated with a victory,” Iglesias said through an interpreter.