Matt

Olson

This was a major shift from the heater that Suárez has been on of late. Coming into this start, he’d struck out 22 batters over his last two starts and allowed just two earned runs. Here, the Braves knocked him around for six hits over the first two innings and it was a minor miracle he didn’t give up more runs. He’ll try to get back on track next time out against the Brewers.

The Braves offense couldn’t muster up more than one run despite 12 total hits in this game. As a team, they went 2-for-12 with runners in scoring position and left 10 men on base in a one-run loss. Of Olson’s three hits, none went for extra-bases or brought anyone home. We’re finally getting towards the end of a season that all Braves fans and players cannot wait to forget.

Olson worked Aaron Nola for a walk in the top half of the first inning and came around to score on a two-run single off the bat of Michael Harris II. He then tagged Nola for a 378-foot (101.1 mph EV) solo shot in the sixth inning that pulled the Braves to within 11 runs at 15-4. He drew a pair of walks in the ballgame, reaching base safely in three of his four plate appearances. For the season, the 31-year-old slugger is now slashing .266/.364/.456 with 21 long balls and 75 RBI.

Olson smacked a one-out double off of Shane Smith in the first inning and rode home on a two-run blast by Michael Harris II. He then singled in the seventh inning and scored as Drake Baldwin worked a bases-loaded walk. The 31-year-old slugger also doubled in the eighth inning and scored the go-ahead run on Baldwin’s two-run single. On the season, he’s now hitting .273/.370/.461 with 19 homers, 72 RBI and one stolen base.

Olson hadn’t homered since July 20, and he still hasn’t had a multi-RBI game during the second half. His .262 average is a little better than expected and he’s beating his OPS from last year, but with 19 homers and 70 RBI in 118 games, he’ll need to pick up the pace a little to get to 30 HR/100 RBI for the fourth time in his career.

The Braves had plenty of traffic on the basepaths in the ballgame with eight hits and a pair of walks, but they were unable to deliver a timely hit when they needed it most. Olson singled in the first inning to put two men on with no outs, but the next three hitters went down in order to end that threat. He also singled in the fifth to put two men on with only one out, but once again those runners never advanced. With his three-hit attack, the 31-year-old slugger is now hitting .266/.366/.475 with 18 homers and 64 RBI on the season.

The 22-year-old budding superstar is certainly deserving of the honor, slashing .288/.391/.549 with 23 homers, 67 RBI and 12 swipes on the year. He’ll be joined on the National League bench by Pete Alonso, Corbin Carroll, Elly De La Cruz, Brendan Donovan, Hunter Goodman, Matt Olson, Kyle Schwarber, Kyle Stowers, Eugenio Suarez and Fernando Tatis Jr.

Olson continues to tear it up at the plate after hitting .313 in June. He doubled and scored in the first inning, then slugged a solo homer to lead off the third. A base hit drove in a run in the fourth before drawing a pair of walks. The 31-year-old slugger is slashing .271/.372/.495 with 17 homers, 49 runs scored, and 58 RBI across 387 plate appearances.

The Braves had a furious, two-out rally which led them to victory here and Olson put the exclamation point on it with his grand slam. After singles by Jurickson Profar and Ozzie Albies knocked Yusei Kikuchi out of this game with two outs in the sixth inning, Sean Murphy launched a three-run home run to give Atlanta their first lead. Then, Angels’ reliever Ryan Zeferjahn allowed a single to Michael Harris II and walked both ninth hitter Nick Allen and Ronald Acuña Jr. which set Olson up for his grand slam. It was his first RBI in over a week and first home run in two weeks as he and his Braves try to shake loose from the malaise that’s overcome their season.

The Braves scored all of their runs between the sixth and eighth innings tonight, with Olson driving in runs in both frames. He’s made a big charge over the last month, hitting .308 with eight homers, 14 doubles and 31 RBI in his last 34 games to raise his OPS from .720 to .844, and he has a good case for the third All-Star appearance of his career next month.