DENVER -- Ronald Acuña Jr. moved a step away from history as he was serenaded with MVP chants while helping the Braves roll to a 14-4 win over the Rockies on Monday night at Coors Field.

Acuña hit his 29th homer in the fifth inning, stole his 60th base in the seventh and then increased his MLB-leading stolen-base total to 61 in the eighth inning. He now stands as one of four players to hit 20-plus homers and steal 60-plus bases in the same season.

Acuña joins Rickey Henderson (three times), Joe Morgan (twice) and Eric Davis as the only players to steal 60-plus bases and hit 20-plus homers in the same season. Henderson had been the most recent to reach the plateau in 1990, when he hit 28 homers and swiped 65 bags for the A’s.

Acuña is the first player to steal 60 in a season since Dee Strange-Gordon for the Marlins in 2017. No one has stolen 70 or more since Jacoby Ellsbury for the Red Sox in 2009.

With one more home run, Acuña will become the first player in AL/NL history to record 30 homers and 60 stolen bases in the same season. That’s a pretty good stat to strengthen his MVP resume.

“Anything he’s going to do in this game isn’t going to surprise me,” Braves manager Brian Snitker said. “I think he’s that talented.”

Shortly after stealing his 60th base in the top of the seventh inning, Acuña was involved in a potentially scary incident in the bottom of the inning.

A fan approached Acuña after he ran out to right field apparently to take a selfie and, while security rushed to the scene, another fan approached and made contact with the outfielder, knocking him to the ground. But the incident ended harmlessly, with Acuña giving the thumbs-up sign to the Braves dugout.

"I was a little scared at first," he said afterward, through an interpreter. "I think the fans were out there and asking for pictures. ... We're all OK, and I hope they're OK."

Left fielder Kevin Pillar was nearby when the situation unfolded.

"I don't think they had any ill intentions," he said. "I think that was pretty evident early on."

Bryce Elder’s six-inning effort was backed by a two-run opposite-field home run from Austin Riley and a three-double night by Sean Murphy. But it was Acuña’s four-hit performance that paced the Braves, who have tallied a double-digit run total in each of their past three games against the Rockies. 

Acuña singled and tallied his second stolen base of the night in the eighth. Then, with MVP chants growing louder in the ninth, he doubled off the left-center-field wall. He flirted with a two-homer and two-steal night. That would have been a nice way to create the 30-60 club.

“Think about how long this game has been played and think about how many great players have played this game, and he’s on the verge of doing something that has never been done,” Pillar said. “It’s pretty remarkable. He hasn’t done it yet, but I expect him to do it real soon.”

A 20-60 season isn’t quite as rare as 40-40, but before Acuña this season, there had been three 40-40 seasons since the most recent 20-60 campaign -- and fewer players have achieved the 20-60 combo.

The only players to record 40 homers and 40 steals in a season are 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 was just 21 years old.

This is a great accomplishment for Acuña, who has spent this season reminding the baseball world of how special he can be when healthy. The speed he has shown this year was muted last year as he dealt with the lingering effects of a major knee injury (torn right ACL) he suffered two days before the 2021 All-Star break.

Bonds (1990) and Davis (1987) are also going to gain company when Acuña hits his next home run. These two former players have long stood as the only players to steal 50-plus bases during a 30-homer season.

“I think I'm just really happy and proud that I've been able to stay healthy for this whole season,” Acuña said. “The goal is to be able to go out there, contribute and help the team win any way possible.”

Acuña could certainly create history while spending the next two nights playing within the offensive-friendly confines of Coors Field. If he does, those MVP chants could grow louder.

“I’m happy and really proud,” Acuña said. “The goal stays the same, to keep winning and stay focused.”