In a nail-biting contest, the Atlanta Braves emerged victorious against the Philadelphia Phillies, securing a 7-6 win in 10 innings on Tuesday. The game featured remarkable performances, including a historic home run by Matt Olson and clutch hits from both sides.
The pivotal moment came in the fourth inning when Matt Olson launched a solo shot to left field, his 51st home run of the season. This mammoth blast not only tied the single-season franchise record, previously set by Andruw Jones in 2005 but also solidified Olson’s position as the major league home run leader this year.
The Braves’ offensive onslaught didn’t stop with Olson’s historic feat. Marcell Ozuna contributed significantly, hitting a three-run homer and adding a crucial single. Ronald Acuna Jr. made his presence felt with a two-run home run, and Eddie Rosario delivered the game-winning RBI single in the 10th inning. Rosario’s outstanding performance included three hits in total.
With this hard-fought victory, the Braves (95-50) find themselves on the verge of clinching the National League East title. A win over the Phillies on Wednesday would seal the deal for Atlanta.
Braves’ starting pitcher Max Fried had a solid outing, surrendering just four hits and one run while striking out six and issuing two walks over five innings.
In the bullpen, Raisel Iglesias (5-4) secured the win, and Brad Hand earned his first save with a scoreless 10th inning. The Phillies had their chances, with Nick Castellanos advancing to third base with one out, but Brandon Marsh struck out, and Johan Rojas popped out, leaving the tying run stranded.
The Phillies (79-66) displayed resilience throughout the game, with Trea Turner leading the charge with three hits, including a game-tying homer in the ninth inning, and two RBIs. Bryson Stott added a two-run home run, while Castellanos and Bryce Harper each contributed a home run and a single. Harper’s solo homer in the eighth inning marked his 1,500th career hit.
Phillies’ starter Zack Wheeler faced challenges, going five innings and giving up seven hits and six runs, including three home runs. Craig Kimbrel (7-6) took the loss.
Harper’s late-inning heroics saw the Phillies cut what had been a five-run deficit to 6-3, with Stott adding a two-run shot to center, closing the gap to 6-5. Both homers were hit against Braves’ reliever Joe Jimenez.
The game’s early stages saw the Phillies take a 1-0 lead in the second inning when Castellanos launched a solo homer to right-center. The Braves responded, tying the game at 1 in the fourth when Olson made his historic mark.
The fifth inning belonged to Atlanta, with Acuna crushing a two-run home run to left field and Ozuna following suit with a three-run homer to left, extending the Braves’ lead to 6-1.
Philadelphia continued to battle, with Turner’s RBI single in the seventh narrowing the gap to 6-2.
In the end, it was the Braves who emerged victorious in this thrilling showdown, setting the stage for an exciting conclusion to their series with the Phillies.
