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Until Sunday night, the legendary Mickey Mantle had been the youngest player in Major League Baseball history to hit a big slam in a postseason game. He did so at age 21 in the 1953 World Series.
Now the Braves' Ronald Acuna owns that distinction.
The rookie left fielder, age 20, extended his year of extraordinary exploits into the postseason Sunday night at SunTrust Park with a two-out grand slam in the second inning of Game 3 of the National League Division Series against the Los Angeles Dodgers.
Acuna might have been less impressed than most with a long record held by Mantle, a Hall of Famer and iconic New York Yankees slugger.
"No, I do not recognize him," Acuna said through an interpreter. "I was not even born."
Mantle's Great Slam in Game 5 of the 1953 World Series also came against the Dodgers, the Brooklyn Dodgers at the time.
Acuna's big slam was the latest entry on his long list of historic feats this season. Just a name in MLB history to hit a home run in four consecutive games … MLB history to hit 26 home runs in a season before his 21st birthday … first rookie to lead 1943.
But Sunday's feat topped all of those in Acuna's assessment.
"I guess I just got started just in the playoffs," he said. "And to be honest, that's what we've been working on for this whole time since spring training, trying to get to the playoffs. … That's why I would have it No. 1. "
One pitch before the big slam, the Braves gave Acuna a take sign on at 3-0 count.
Brian Snitker explained, "I did not want to go out of my way.
The 3-0 pitch from Dodgers starter Walker Buehler appeared to be high, and Acuna withdrew his bat. But home plate umpire Gary Cederstrom called it strike one rather than ball oven.
"I did not think it was a strike," said Acuna, "but I was just focused on the … next pitch. And I was luckily able to connect. "
He deposited that pitch, at 3-1 fastball from Buehler, in the left-center field seats.
"Said," said Snitker, referring to the Braves "being silenced in the first two games of the series, both shutout wins by the Dodgers.
The batter before Acuna, starting pitcher Sean Newcomb, had improbably produced the Braves' first RBI of the series by drawing a two-out basics-loaded walk. Acuna's big slam gave the Braves a 5-0 lead. The Dodgers eventually tied the game 5-5, and the Braves won 6-5, thanks to first baseman Freddie Freeman's long run in the sixth inning. L.A. now leads the best-of-five series two games to one, with Game 4 on Monday at SunTrust Park.
Freeman, like Snitker, cited Acuna's big slam as a huge breakthrough for the Braves in the series.
"He continues to amaze," Freeman said. "I do not think we need anybody else (at bat) in that situation. … Ronald was able to work the count and get to his hitter's count, and I thought everyone had the confidence in the world.
"He's been doing it all year, and he's going on in the playoffs, he's pretty incredible. And everybody is starting to get to see it. "
Freeman later he will try to help Acuna with a bit of baseball history: "I'll work on Mickey Mantle with him."
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