DENVER — Time will inform if this was the night time the Braves turned issues round. However within the midst of Matt Olson’s second multi-homer sport of the season, the crew was reminded of how precious the primary baseman could possibly be throughout its late-season push.
Olson’s towering grand slam within the third inning wasn’t sufficient. However his two-run homer within the seventh allowed the Braves to finish a six-game dropping streak with an 11-8 win over the Rockies at Coors Area.
“That factor began out prefer it may have been one other ‘right here we go’ second,” Braves supervisor Brian Snitker stated. “Guys fought again, man. They saved combating the battle. It was ballgame to win.”
Releasing frustrations throughout this slugfest may need been simply what the Braves wanted. Olson set a profession excessive with six RBIs and Marcell Ozuna homered for the third straight day. Jorge Soler homered in a second straight sport and tallied a key two-out, two-strike, two-run single within the seventh.
Nothing has come simple for the Braves, who received for simply the eighth time in 21 video games because the All-Star break. However with the Mets dropping to the Mariners on Saturday night time, Atlanta regained the lead within the battle for the third Nationwide League Wild Card spot.
“We haven’t gotten sizzling but,” Olson stated. “You by no means know when it’s going to occur. We present up every single day with a mindset that it’s going to begin at this time. This hasn’t been the stretch we’ve needed as of late. Nevertheless it was sport at this time and we’ll see if we are able to get sizzling on the proper time.”
One purpose the Braves may quickly get sizzling is their rotation, which may welcome Reynaldo López again from the injured listing as early as Aug. 17. The Braves despatched three starters (López, Chris Sale and Max Fried) to the All-Star Sport. However they haven’t had all three within the rotation on the similar time because the All-Star break.
Fried’s second begin again from the injured listing wasn’t sharp, however he was higher than he was final weekend towards the Marlins. The All-Star hurler allowed the Rockies 5 runs by way of the primary three innings after which retired every of the ultimate seven batters confronted in his five-inning stint.
“You may test [Fried’s] baseball card,” Olson stated. “He’s been doing it at a excessive degree for a very long time.”
So, too has Olson, who set franchise information when he led the Majors in each house runs (54) and RBIs (139) final season. That’s why the Braves have remained assured the primary baseman would possibly ultimately discover his groove.
Olson entered July 27 with 13 homers by way of his first 380 at-bats. That 29.2 at-bat-to-home run ratio was far completely different than final 12 months’s 11.3 AB/HR mark. However the energy has come again over the previous couple weeks. He has seven homers in his previous 51 at-bats, a 7.3 AB/HR ratio.
“I’d say the standard of at-bats have been higher than they had been earlier within the 12 months,” Olson stated. “However there’s all the time room to develop.”
Olson actually gave the impression to be in a zone after he fell behind Rockies starter Dakota Hudson with two outs and the bases loaded within the third. He checked out three straight pitches out of the zone after which pulverized an 87.5 mph fastball down within the zone.
Because the ball rose, it appeared to have an opportunity to land within the third deck. Nevertheless it fell simply quick clanging off the facade. The blast traveled a Statcast-projected 416 ft and had a 41 diploma launch angle. It was certainly one of simply 20 homers to journey 415-plus ft with a 40-plus diploma launch angle since Statcast monitoring started in 2015.
Every of the primary eight RBIs tallied by the Braves had been recorded with two outs. Olson ended that pattern within the seventh, when he drilled Angel Chivilli’s 1-1 changeup over the right-field wall. His earlier two-homer sport this season got here towards the Brewers on July 31.
“It’s been a tough stretch for us,” Olson stated. “It was hard-fought win.”
