Braves defeat the Dodgers 8-7 in a Thriller

Ronald Acuña Jr. had an eventful day: The Atlanta Braves superstar tied the knot with Maria Laborde in the morning, then made history with a grand slam, and capped the night by besting NL MVP contender Mookie Betts and the Los Angeles Dodgers.

He's considering postponing the honeymoon until November after leading the Braves to an 8-7 victory over the Dodgers. The couple, who share two young sons, had a discreet ceremony in the mountains, a 45-minute drive from the team's hotel.

“I kept it a secret from everyone,” Acuña revealed. “I had it all planned out weeks in advance.”

Braves manager Brian Snitker was taken aback, saying, “I probably don't need to know all this, but congratulations to him.”

Acuña's grand slam, breaking a 1-1 tie in the second inning, solidified his status as the first player to achieve 30 homers and 60 stolen bases in a single season. Atlanta's strong offensive showing was necessary to overcome Mookie Betts' two home runs.

"I feel incredibly happy and privileged," Ronald Acuña Jr. expressed. "I'm extremely thankful for this day."

The Atlanta Braves surged to a 7-1 lead in the fifth inning, ultimately securing the win as Raisel Iglesias struck out Kiké Hernández with two runners on base for the final out.

Braves manager Brian Snitker remarked, "That was quite a game, living up to all the anticipation."

Following his secret wedding, Acuña continued to shine, collecting three hits and contributing to the MLB-leading Braves' 88-45 record. He crushed a 429-foot home run into the left-field pavilion against Lance Lynn during a six-run second inning, marking his third career grand slam. Acuña now boasts 36 career home runs in August, the most in any month, and stole his 62nd base in the ninth inning.

Teammate Michael Harris II marveled, "He got married and became the first player in history to have 30 homers and 60 stolen bases. That's quite a remarkable day."

Mookie Betts had an impressive performance as well, going 2 for 4 with four RBI, three runs, and two homers, setting a new career high with 38 home runs for the season. His three-run homer in the fifth inning, driven opposite-field to right, narrowed the Dodgers' deficit to 7-4, despite Acuña's valiant attempt to catch it at the wall.

Dodgers manager Dave Roberts acknowledged the captivating showdown between Ronald Acuña Jr. and Mookie Betts, stating, "It's hard not to watch those two guys go head-to-head."

In a game that featured a total of 15 runs, seven homers came from the top two power-hitting teams in the majors.

The drama continued into the ninth inning, as Betts flied out deep to right, followed by Freddie Freeman walking and Will Smith singling, setting up a potential tying and winning scenario for the Dodgers. However, Max Muncy's flyout and Raisel Iglesias's 27th save in 29 chances, securing his 18th consecutive save, sealed the Braves' 8-7 victory.

The Braves concluded August with an impressive 21-8 record, nearing the Atlanta-era record for wins in the month, set by the 1999 team with a 21-7 record. Their MLB-leading record now stands at 88-45.

Michael Harris II commented, "We thrive on playing at our full potential and being challenged, and they're the team that will certainly challenge us and bring out our best. It'll prepare us mentally for October."

The Dodgers, with a record of 24-5 in August, saw their four-game winning streak snapped but maintain the lead in the NL West with an 83-50 record.

Despite the Dodgers trailing 7-1, Mookie Betts' three-run homer in the fifth inning off Spencer Strider (16-4) added excitement to the game, which included nine strikeouts by Strider over six innings.

In the seventh inning, Michael Busch smacked a home run off Joe Jiménez, and Mookie Betts followed with a solo shot, narrowing the Dodgers' deficit to 8-6. Betts' two hits in this game brought his August total to 51, making it the highest in Los Angeles Dodgers' history. Max Muncy's eighth-inning home run made it 8-7, keeping the game intense.

Ronald Acuña Jr., Michael Harris, and Austin Riley had an impressive combined performance, going 7 for 14 with seven hits and seven RBI. Each of them contributed a home run, adding to the Braves' MLB-leading total of 253 homers.

As for his honeymoon plans, Acuña is postponing it until after the season concludes. He mentioned, "Preferably after the World Series."