This Day in Braves History: Ronald Acuña becomes youngest player with a grand slam in the postseason

Oct 7, 2022 - 12:00 PM

Atlanta Braves - Game Three" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/OnidbBOs0SpmO5LPolnVr74XsyU=/0x155:2974x1828/1920x1080/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/71465312/1047292418.0.jpg" />

Braves Franchise History

2013: The Dodgers are the first team to clinch a spot in the League Championship Series as they eliminate the Braves with a 5-4 win in Game 4 of the NLDS. Trailing 3-2 in the bottom of the eighth, the Dodgers reverse the tide on Juan Uribe’s two-run homer off David Carpenter. Carl Crawford hits a pair of solo homers for Los Angeles’s other two runs.

2018: The Braves avoid elimination in the other NLDS with a 6-5 win over the Dodgers in the first postseason game to be played at SunTrust Park. Shut out in the first two games, the Braves put up five runs against Walker Buehler in the second, the big blow being a grand slam by rookie Ronald Acuna. But the Dodgers tie it with two runs in the third and three in the fifth and have the potential go-ahead run thrown out at home in the sixth. Freddie Freeman puts the Braves ahead to stay with a homer off Alex Wood in the bottom of the sixth and Arodys Vizcaino gets a nerve-wracking save when he strikes out three straight batters after putting two men on to start off the ninth.

2019: The Cardinals also fend off elimination in Game 4 of the NLDS, taking an early 3-1 lead against the Braves on two homers by Marcell Ozuna and one by Paul Goldschmidt. However, Atlanta scores three in the fifth, on an error and a two-run homer by Ozzie Albies, and the score remains 4-3 until a clutch single by Yadier Molina with two outs in the bottom of the eighth. In the 10th, Molina is again the hero, with his sacrifice fly scoring Kolten Wong for a 5-4 Cardinals win.

2020: In the NLDS, the Braves pitch their third shutout in four postseason games to defeat the Marlins, 2-0, in Game 2, solo homers by Dansby Swanson and Travis d’Arnaud account for all the scoring.

MLB History

1917: At Comiskey Park, in the first World Series game to be played on a Sunday, the White Sox pound Ferdie Schupp of the Giants to win Game 2, 7-2, and take two games to none lead in the series.

1995: Edgar Martinez of the Seattle Mariners hits a tie-breaking grand slam in the eighth inning and drives in seven runs, the most ever in a postseason game to date, leading the Mariners past the New York Yankees, 11-8, and sending the ALDS to a decisive Game 5.

1998 - Chuck Knoblauch of the New York Yankees argues for an interference call at first base instead of picking up the ball while Enrique Wilson scores to break a 1-1 tie in the 12th inning of the Cleveland Indians’ 4-1 victory at Yankee Stadium in Game 2 of the ALCS.

2001: On the last day of the season, Rickey Henderson of the San Diego Padres bloops a double down the right field line off Colorado Rockies pitcher John Thomson to become the 25th major leaguer to collect 3,000 career hits. Tony Gwynn, who is playing in his last major league game and is also a member of the 3,000 hit club, meets Henderson at home plate in front of a sell-out crowd QualComm Park.

---

Information for this article was found via Baseball Reference, NationalPastime.com and Today in Baseball History.