Ronald Acuna Jr. came through with the biggest moment of Sunday’s matchup for the Atlanta Braves, launching a game-tying three-run homer in the eighth inning.
The long ball sparked Atlanta’s comeback, helping the Braves secure a 5-4 victory against the Philadelphia Phillies at Citizens Bank Park.
Acuna connected against Phillies reliever Alex McFarlane, turning on a 100.5 mph fastball and sending it deep into the right-field stands. The home run evened the score at 4-4 while also marking the 1,000th hit of his career.
With the milestone, Acuna became just the second player in Braves history to record at least 1,000 hits, 200 home runs and 200 stolen bases. Hall of Famer Hank Aaron remains the only other Brave to accomplish the feat. The homer was Acuna’s 16th of the season and gave him his fourth RBI of the afternoon.
Atlanta’s victory also pushed its NL East advantage to five games over Philadelphia.
Following the game, Acuna shared some exciting news with his followers on social media.
Ronald Acuna Jr. Is Teaming Up With Cousin Maikel Garcia
Acuna and Kansas City Royals third baseman Maikel Garcia revealed plans for a joint livestream. The stream, titled “IRL Pa’ Los Libros,” will feature the two cousins live on Kick in the near future.
A date for the broadcast has not been announced yet. Both players shared the promotional poster on Instagram, generating plenty of anticipation among their fans.
Garcia already has a presence on Kick, but this will mark Acuna’s first appearance on the platform alongside him. Garcia’s channel is called “thevillain11“. The collaboration is expected to bring fans from both MLB fanbases together, with more information to come.
Ronald Acuna Jr. & Maikel Garcia History
Acuna and Garcia are cousins who spent their childhood together in La Sabana, Venezuela. The small coastal community has produced a number of players who eventually reached the major leagues.
While Acuna’s father was playing professional baseball, Acuna stayed with Garcia in the United States.
“We have a lot of memories,” Acuna said in a joint interview with MLB.com during the World Baseball Classic. The two players also recalled how they would argue as kids whenever one of them managed to defeat the other in a game.
“We enjoy every time we’re playing together in winter ball and in the WBC,” Garcia revealed. “That’s amazing, and I think that’s a goal for the family too.”
Both Acuna and Garcia were selected to Venezuela’s roster and played key roles as the team advanced to the tournament final for the first time. Venezuela ultimately defeated the United States 3-2 to claim the championship, with Garcia earning tournament MVP honors.