Olson's go-ahead moonshot fuels Braves to series finale victory

ATLANTA -- Matt Olson’s seventh-inning three-run homer sailed beyond the center-field fence to help the Braves sail ahead of Arizona for good Sunday at Truist Park, where Atlanta won, 5-3, and avoided getting swept for the second straight home series against the Diamondbacks.

Olson received the green light on a 3-0 count, blasting Brandyn Garcia’s 95.8 mph sinker into the tunnel behind the wall in center for his 36th home run and MLB-leading 66th extra-base hit.

“It’s got to be the highest-percentage fastball count,” Olson said. “It was a good time to, if I saw a pitch I liked, go at it.”

Olson tallied his third 30-30 season and second with Atlanta (44 doubles and 34 homers, 2022) with a double on Saturday night, joining Austin Riley (2021-23) and Ozzie Albies (2021, 2023) among 10 Braves to reach the feat more than once. Since Olson joined Atlanta ahead of the 2022 season, his 367 extra-base hits are most in the National League.

“I think it’s been half his homers, or somewhere around there, that have either tied the game or put us ahead,” manager Walt Weiss said of his first baseman. “He’s just a special player doing special things. I mean, off [Garcia]? That guy’s almost unhittable for lefties.”

Diamondbacks third baseman Ildemaro Vargas had tied the game at 2 with a leadoff shot into the right-field stands in the top of the seventh inning off Didier Fuentes. It was the first plate appearance for Vargas, who replaced Nolan Arenado after he left the game in the middle of the fourth inning with left trunk discomfort. Fuentes’ blown save negated starter Bryce Elder’s chance for his ninth win. Elder, the Braves’ innings leader at 137 2/3, is seeking his second 10-win season and first since his 12-4 All-Star campaign in 2023.

“My stuff has gotten a little better than that bad stretch,” Elder said. “But more than anything, I was trying to get a little too fine. Today I was trying to just go right at guys. I know the velocity was down, but I thought the stuff was pretty good.”

The only run Elder allowed in six innings came via Gabriel Moreno's leadoff home run in the fourth, when the D-backs catcher tied the score at 1 by slugging a 3-1 offering to left. Elder otherwise scattered three singles and one walk while striking out five batters on just 75 pitches.

“Bryce has been fighting through some knee stuff, not enough to make him miss a start, but he’s been fighting through it,” Weiss said. “He continues to take the ball and be very durable. That’s probably the tipping point for me not sending him out in the seventh.”

Old friend Michael Soroka, whose first six years in the bigs were with Atlanta, nearly matched Elder at 80 pitches in 5 2/3 innings. The Braves mustered six hits and two runs off Soroka, half of which came in the third inning, when Dominic Smith singled, advanced to second on Jim Jarvis’ single and then dashed home on Drake Baldwin’s single to open the scoring.

Atlanta regained the lead in the fifth inning, when Riley singled and scored. He advanced to third on back-to-back groundouts before Ronald Acuña Jr. knocked him in with a double down the left-field line.

Weiss also emphasized defense as a key element of Atlanta’s success, particularly when Albies cut down Tim Tawa as he made a break for home on Geraldo Perdomo's fielder's choice, only to be tagged by Baldwin at the plate.

“The pick and tag by [Baldwin] was phenomenal,” Weiss said.

Dylan Lee and Raisel Iglesias each tossed an inning of relief to close the victory. Iglesias permitted the potential tying run to reach with no outs, walking Ketel Marte on a full count and allowing a single to Max Kepler to begin the ninth inning. With one out, Tawa appeared to fly out to right field, but a balk call negated the pitch. Tawa extended the at-bat to a full count before grounding out to Albies, which scored Marte. James McCann then flew out to center to end the game.