After taking 71 at-bats without hitting the ball out of the park, the Venezuelan Ronald Acuña Jr., figure of the Atlanta Braves, matched the home run record of the remembered Luis Valbuena on Thursday night.
In the fifth inning, the native of La Sabana, La Guaira state, deciphered a pitch to Carlos Carrasco, one of the best Venezuelan pitchers in the Major Leagues (MLB), to throw the ball all over the central Garden.
According to Baseball Savant, the “El Abusador” connection posted a muzzle velocity of 108.2 miles per hour and traveled 425 feet at Citi Field.
.@ronaldacunajr24 into the apple! pic.twitter.com/yRA48P9pLw
- MLB (@MLB) August 5
With that four-cornered hit, number nine of the season and 114 of his career, Acuña Jr. reached Valbuena on the list of Venezuelan players with the most home runs in the "Big Show."
The former infielder hit 114 home runs during his 11-year MLB tenure in which he defended the uniforms of the Seattle Mariners, Cleveland Indians, Chicago Cubs, Houston Astros and Los Angeles Angels.
Read also: Willson Contreras hit a decisive home run
On December 6, 2018, Valbuena lost his life in a car accident in the middle of the 2018-19 campaign of the Venezuelan Professional Baseball League (LVBP).
Acuña Jr. still has 56 games ahead of him in 2022 to overcome the remembered and beloved player from Caja Seca.
