20-Year-Old MLB Star Breaks Mickey Mantle's 65-Year-Old Record
Ronald Acuna Jr.’s spectacular rookie season for the Atlanta Braves is continuing right on into the postseason.
The 20-year-old phenom became the youngest player in major league history to hit a grand slam in the postseason Sunday, eclipsing the previous record held by Yankees legend Mickey Mantle.
Ronald Acuña Jr. with the grand slam 🔥🔥🔥🔥
He's the youngest player in postseason history with a grand slam, at 20 years, 293 days old. pic.twitter.com/kLDD9nDAL3
— SportsCenter (@SportsCenter) October 8, 2018
Acuna’s grand slam in the bottom of the second off Dodgers starter Walker Buehler put the Braves ahead 5-0. The Braves held on to win 6-5 to live for another day in this NL Divisional Series. They trail 2-1 in the best-of-five series heading into Tuesday afternoon’s Game 4 in Atlanta.
There was no doubt about the home run as Acuna slammed a 3-1 pitch deep into the left-field bleachers.
Mantle had been the youngest player to hit a postseason grand slam when he hit one at age 21 against the Brooklyn Dodgers in the 1953 World Series.
“I guess I have to rank it first of all the moments just because it happened in the playoffs,” Acuna said through an interpreter, reported the Atlanta Journal-Constitution. “And to be honest, that’s what we’ve been working for this entire time since spring training, trying get to the playoffs, and I guess the severity of the situation that it happened. That’s why I put it No. 1. We’re just trying to keep working hard and maintain the way we’re going right now.”
Youngest to hit postseason grand slam:
ATL Ronald Acuña, 2018 NLDS 3 vs LAD (20-293)
NYY Mickey Mantle, 1953 WS 5 at BKN (21-349)
CHC Addison Russell, 2016 WS 6 at CLE (22-283)
NYY Gil McDougald, 1951 WS 5 at NYG (23-143)
CLE Francisco Lindor, 2017 ALDS 2 vs NYY (23-326)— Doug Kern (@dakern74) October 8, 2018
Acuna, who was called up on April 25, had 26 home runs, 64 RBIs, and hit .293 in 111 games from the Braves. In August he hit home runs in five consecutive games.
“He’s special,” Braves teammate Kurt Suzuki said of Acuna. “That’s the bottom line. He’s special. You’ve seen it for most of the year. The guy has been our spark plug since he’s been up. I expect that out of him now.”
Ronald Acuña Jr. said he had never heard of Mickey Mantle.
“I wasn’t even born,” he said.
— Fabian Ardaya (@FabianArdaya) October 8, 2018
While the slam got the Braves off to a great start, the Dodgers clawed back in the top of the fifth after a two-run homer by Chris Taylor and a solo shot by Max Muncy to make it 5-5.
But Atlanta’s Freddie Freeman hit what turned out to be the game-winner, blasting a solo shot to right off reliever Alex Wood’s first pitch in the bottom of the 6th to make it 6-5.
FREDDIE FREEMAN pic.twitter.com/VeXHdHaCTu
— Sports Illustrated (@SInow) October 8, 2018
“The biggest game of our lives was tonight, and obviously seeing the five-run lead go away was not ideal, but we held it at 5-5, so we knew we had a chance,” Freeman said, reported the Atlanta Journal-Constitution. “And this team’s been doing it all year. When we get down, we come back, and hit it right back in that sixth inning. It wasn’t what we wanted. But we’re happy to get the win in this kind of fashion.”
The Braves will look to extend the series Tuesday afternoon when Mike Foltynewicz starts on just two days rest for the Braves against Rich Hill. Foltynewicz started Game 1 and last just two innings in a 6-0 loss.
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