Joc Pederson homers, reaches four times vs. Angels

Olson’s homer was a three-run shot off lefty Brandyn Garcia. It broke a 2-2 tie in the seventh and gave Atlanta a lead they wouldn’t surrender. The slugging first baseman now has 11 homers in the second half of 2026, tying him with Wilyer Abreu for the most in MLB. He remains on track to reach 40 homers for the second time, though he fell just shy in 2021, hitting 39 with the A’s. His 36 this season are tied for the third-highest total of his career.

Elder struck out five and walked one as Atlanta went on to win 5-3. The right-hander needed just 75 pitches to record 18 outs, but he’d struggled badly lately, so it makes sense that he wasn’t pushed. He came into Sunday with a 6.29 ERA over his previous 12 starts dating back to May 27. This was a step in the right direction, but there’s little reason for fantasy managers to trust him, with a trip to Milwaukee up next.

Iglesias needed 21 pitches to complete the ninth. He hasn’t been nearly as sharp since the All-Star break. Overall, he’s had a bounce-back campaign, but there was a belief entering 2026 that Robert Suárez could push Iglesias for saves if he struggled. Suárez is sidelined, so Didier Fuentes could see additional save opportunities if the team makes a change. There are no signs of that happening just yet.

Soroka struck out five and walked one against his former team. This was his second outing back from a mid-June glute strain, and he now has a solid 2.93 ERA on the season. He’s been a savvy one-year signing by Arizona, and he’ll look to continue pitching well, with a home start against the Reds up next.

Baldwin got the scoring started with an RBI single in the bottom of the third before swiping second base to remove the double-play threat. The 25-year-old has put together a remarkably similar campaign to his rookie year, validating his strong debut. The difference this season has been playing time. Baldwin has started every game since June 26, mostly hitting in the top two lineup spots, which is rare for a catcher. He’s the most valuable backstop in dynasty formats and will come off the board as one of the top options at the position in 2027 redraft leagues.

Moreno’s homer was his ninth of 2026, tying a career high. He’s already set personal bests in runs and RBI, making this a true breakout season, and not just in the rate stats. Among qualified hitters who are primary catchers, he leads in batting average and OBP by a significant margin. It also helps that he’s been a workhorse behind the plate, missing just two games since June 29.

Swanson was hurt on a swing and a miss in the third inning. We’re just speculating, but it seems pretty likely that he’ll go on the IL, which would probably make Pedro Ramírez a true regular and worthy of a roster spot in mixed leagues for at least a couple of weeks.

Pasquantino played for Triple-A Omaha the last four days, going 3-for-16. Jac Caglianone will move back to right field for the most part following Pasquantino’s return, resulting in fewer at-bats for John Rave and maybe Isaac Collins.

Garcia, out since June 23 with a hand injury, went 4-for-10 with a double and three walks in three games for Double-A Northwest Arkansas from Thursday through Saturday. His return will likely push Nick Loftin back into a utility role and result in Josh Rojas losing his spot.

Swanson swung and missed at a pitch and then doubled over in pain. It wasn’t clear what the issue was exactly, but we’ll know more soon. The seldom-used James Triantos replaced him, with Nico Hoerner moving from second to short.