Matt Olson delivered the biggest swing of the night, and the Braves needed every bit of it.
Olson launched a three-run homer in the 10th inning off Andrew Kittredge, sending Atlanta to a 7-6 win over the Orioles on Friday night as the Braves opened their first road series of the second half. The shot, projected by Statcast at 416 feet to right-center, capped a comeback that saw Atlanta rally from behind twice and gave the NL East leaders their sixth win in eight games since the All-Star break.
The winning rally started with the automatic runner moving home on Jim Jarvis’ fielder’s choice, putting Atlanta ahead before Olson turned the inning into a cushion. It was Olson’s seventh homer in July and his second since his fourth All-Star appearance. The other came in a 15-1 win over the Rangers in his first game back.
Baltimore made things tense again in the bottom of the 10th. Dylan Lee gave up three runs, including two on Christian Encarnacion-Strand’s opposite-field homer with two outs, before he came back to strike out Sam Huff and end it.
Atlanta had been chasing the game for much of the night, but the middle innings kept the Braves within striking distance. Drake Baldwin tied it at 3 in the eighth with a solo homer off Rico Garcia’s changeup. Earlier, Mauricio Dubón’s sacrifice fly and Austin Riley’s first single brought Atlanta even at 2 in the fourth against Orioles left-hander Trevor Rogers, who was otherwise sharp.
Baltimore answered in the bottom of the fourth with Jackson Holliday’s sacrifice fly, the final run allowed by Grant Holmes. Holmes worked five innings, struck out five, and allowed six hits and two walks in his 12th straight start giving up three or fewer runs. Still, he also failed to get past five innings for the seventh consecutive outing.
The Braves didn’t have many clean chances early, so they leaned on their defense to stay close. Michael Harris II made a warning-track catch in center to take extra bases away from Pete Alonso in the third.
In the fifth, Jorge Mateo made a sharp backhanded stop and throw against his former team to retire Taylor Ward and help Holmes escape trouble. Then in the sixth, Dubón dove to knock down Chadwick Tromp’s flare that looked headed for a single and at least one more Baltimore run.
In Other News...
Braves Roster Crunch Is About To Claim Some Familiar Names
The Braves have come out of the All-Star break playing well, but the bigger roster story is what happens next as the trade deadline starts to reshape the 40-man picture. Atlanta is expected to make multiple moves, and with roster spots at a premium, a handful of familiar names are suddenly on shaky ground even before any outside additions arrive.
Dominic Smith, Elieser Hernndez, Joey Bart and Jorge Mateo all fit into that squeeze for different reasons, whether it is performance, fit or the simple math of players on the way back. Smith has at least given the Braves a recent homer to hang onto, but the return of Ronald Acua Jr. looms over that spot. Mateo, meanwhile, is facing a crowded path as the club sorts through infield options and waits on another rehab assignment to near completion. [Read more 🡒]
Braves Made A Brutal Pitching Decision Fans Wont Like
Elieser Hernndez had just given the Braves a useful lift, working three scoreless innings in a tie game and earning his first win since 2022, only to be pulled because of bullpen management needs. It was the kind of outing that can buy a pitcher some breathing room, especially for a club trying to piece together innings and keep its relief corps from getting overworked.
Instead, Atlanta moved in a different direction and brought Connor Thomas back to the major league roster, leaving Hernndezs immediate future unsettled. There is still a chance he stays in the organization if he clears waivers, but for now the Braves are choosing roster flexibility over the momentum he built on the mound. [Read more 🡒]
Braves Bullpen Anxiety Just Grew Around Robert Suarez
Atlantas bullpen has already been carrying a heavier load lately, and the strain is starting to show. With starters not consistently working deep into games, the relief corps has been asked to cover too many innings, and that has only sharpened the concern around a unit that has needed help for a while.
Robert Suarez was supposed to be part of the answer, but his absence has stretched on long enough to leave the Braves planning as if he is not coming back anytime soon. Manager Walt Weiss has made it clear the club is still waiting, and with the trade deadline approaching, Atlanta may have to look outside the organization for more late-inning help rather than keep hoping the current group can absorb the workload. [Read more 🡒]