Matt Olson is about to put his name in a familiar place in Braves history.
When Atlanta takes the field Thursday afternoon for the finale against the Pittsburgh Pirates, Olson will be in the lineup at first base and batting third for his 740th straight game with the Braves. That ties Dale Murphy’s franchise record for consecutive games played, and Olson has not missed a game since arriving ahead of the 2022 season.
The Braves are keeping most of Wednesday’s winning formula intact after a 3-0 victory. The top five spots in the order are unchanged, with Drake Baldwin returning behind the plate after Joey Bart handled catcher duties in the previous game. That shift sends Dominic Smith back to designated hitter, where he’ll bat sixth against Pirates right-hander Mitch Keller (6-6, 5.02 ERA).
The other lineup tweak for Atlanta comes at shortstop, where Jim Jarvis is in for Jorge Mateo and will hit ninth.
For the Braves, the matchup data against Keller has been encouraging. Five regulars in Thursday’s lineup have at least 10 career at-bats against him, and Keller has allowed current Braves hitters to post a .340 average against him overall, going 35-for-103.
Olson has been especially sharp in that sample, hitting 8-for-15 (.533) with a homer, a double and an RBI. Austin Riley is 5-for-12 (.417) with a double, a triple and five of Atlanta’s 13 RBIs off Keller.
Ozzie Albies is 3-for-15 (.200), but two of those hits have gone for extra bases - a double and a homer. Mauricio Dubón has gone 6-for-13 (.462) with two doubles, a homer and three RBIs.
Michael Harris II is 4-for-15 (.267) and is the only one in that group without an extra-base hit against Keller.
Pittsburgh made a few adjustments of its own after Wednesday. Ryan O’Hearn moves from first base to DH, while Tyler Callihan is back in the lineup at first base and batting seventh in place of Marcell Ozuna.
Behind the plate, Rafael Flores Jr. replaces Henry Davis and will hit eighth.
Bryan Reynolds is the only Pirates hitter with double-digit at-bats against Braves starter Bryce Elder (5-6, 4.01). He’s 2-for-11 (.182) against Elder with two singles, three strikeouts and one walk.
As a team, Pittsburgh has had a tough time solving Elder. The Pirates are just 4-for-37 (.108) against him, with one home run, two RBIs, 10 strikeouts, three walks, a .175 on-base percentage and .189 slugging percentage.
The numbers tilt heavily toward Atlanta on paper against Keller. Elder, though, comes in carrying a rough stretch over the last month.
In Other News...
Braves May Already Have Their Best Shortstop Answer In House
Cristian Dubn has quietly become one of the more useful bats in the Braves mix, showing up near the top of the club in batting average and OPS while adding the kind of situational production that tends to matter in October-style baseball. His work has been especially notable with two outs and runners in scoring position, and he has also given Atlanta valuable defensive flexibility by handling shortstop and several other spots around the diamond.
That versatility is part of why Dubn has started to look like a real answer for a team still sorting out its long-term shortstop picture. The Braves have other options in the conversation, and rookie Jim Jarvis has done enough to stay on the radar, but he still profiles more as a utility piece than a clear everyday solution. With the position unsettled beyond this season, Dubns all-around value is making the decision harder, not easier. [Read more 🡒]
Braves Deadline Focus Just Shifted To A Move Fans Have Wanted
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The emphasis on starting pitching makes sense for a team trying to steady itself for the stretch run, and the market could push the Braves toward a familiar veteran type if they decide to make a move. Sonny Gray has surfaced as one name to watch, giving fans a reason to keep an eye on how aggressively Atlanta pursues rotation upgrades over the next few weeks. [Read more 🡒]
ESPN Just Revealed Two Braves Deadline Fits Fans Will Obsess Over
The Braves deadline conversation is already taking shape around two very different needs, and ESPNs Jeff Passan put a spotlight on both. Atlanta is looking for starting pitching help, and Passan flagged Freddy Peralta as a possible fit while also pointing to the shortstop market, where CJ Abrams stands out as the kind of player who could reshape a lineup if he ever became available.
Abrams is the more intriguing name for Braves fans because the upside is obvious, but the path to a deal is anything but. Passan noted the Nationals are highly unlikely to move him and would drive a massive price if they even entertained it, which leaves Atlanta in the familiar spot of weighing big-name possibilities against the reality of what actually gets done in July. [Read more 🡒]