Acuna, Toussaint lead DH sweep

ATLANTA — Ronald Acuna Jr. pulled off one of the rarest feats in baseball history, hitting leadoff homers in both games of a doubleheader to lead the firstplace Braves to a sweep of the Marlins on Monday.

The 20-year-old rookie hit an opposite-field drive into the Braves’ bullpen in Game 1, powering a 9-1 win. Haitian-American Touki Toussaint pitched six strong innings to claim the win in his major league debut.

It was more of the same from Acuna in the nightcap. He sent a towering shot into the seats in left-center, sparking the Braves to a 6-1 win behind another strong outing on the mound from Mike Foltynewicz.

Acuna appeared to be only the fourth player in baseball history to hit a pair of leadoff homers in a doubleheader. Two others, Rickey Henderson and Harry Hooper, are in the Hall of Fame.

The Elias Sports Bureau said the Orioles’ Brady Anderson was the last to pull off the rare double during a home doubleheader against the White Sox on Aug. 21, 1999.

Before that, it was accomplished by Oakland’s Henderson at home against the Indians on July 5, 1993, and Hooper while playing for the Red Sox on May 20, 1913, against the Senators.

The Braves stretched their lead in the NL East to a full game over the idle Phillies.

Acuna, a 20-year-old rookie, has flourished since moving into the leadoff role for the Braves. Over the course of about nine hours, he went 5-for-8 with two homers, five RBIs, five runs, two walks and a stolen base.

Toussaint (1-0) was born in Florida but moved to Haiti just a few months later, living there for about eight years. He returned to Florida after his parents split up and gave baseball a try.