Matt Olson crushes 40th homer in three-hit effort

Olson worked Phillies’ starter Aaron Nola for a one-out walk in the opening inning, then rode home on Michael Harris II’s go-ahead three-run blast. He then did some yard work of his own in the eighth inning, tagging Jonathan Bowlan for a 416-foot (107.2-mph EV) solo shot that increased the Braves’ lead to 6-1. That was one of three Braves’ homers off the Phillies in the series-clinching victory. Next up, a matchup with the Dodgers in the NLDS.

It’s the first start of the series for Smith, who has appeared as a pinch-hitter and struck out in each of the first two games. Mike Yastrzemski will also return to the starting lineup for Game 3 after sitting in Game 2. Sean Murphy and Ha-Seong Kim will open the game on the bench for the Braves. Here’s the full lineup that the Braves will deploy in a must-win game against Phillies’ right-hander Aaron Nola: Drake Baldwin (C), Ronald Acuña Jr. (RF), Matt Olson (1B), Michael Harris II (CF), Mauricio Dubon (SS), Mike Yastrzemski (LF) Austin Riley (3B), Ozzie Albies (2B) and Dominic Smith (DH)

Olson had been cold at the dish over the last two weeks. After snapping a 14-game home run drought on Friday, he had his first multi-hit game since August 25 on Sunday against the Phillies. He started with a base hit in the first inning, then drove in a run on a single in the seventh. Olson then hit his second home run in three days with a two-run blast in the ninth. The 32-year-old slugger is up to 39 homers, 96 runs scored, and 85 RBI across 650 plate appearances.

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.

Olson doubled Atlanta’s lead to 4-0 with a two-run shot in the eighth inning. It’s the 35th homer of the season for the slugger, and six of those roundtrippers have come over 10 games in the month of August.

Olson started his 900th consecutive game in Sunday’s matinee. He celebrated with a seventh-inning homer off a 100-mph Cam Schlittler heater to break a scoreless tie. New York tied things up an inning later before Atlanta won in extras. Olson is now up to 34 homers on the year. While he’s unlikely to approach the career-best 54 he hit in 2023, he’s headed toward 40 for the second time.

Olson smacked a two-out double off of Janson Junk in the home half of the first inning but the Braves couldn’t cash him in. After walking in the third inning, he led off the sixth with a 422-foot (105.7-mph EV) solo shot off of Joh King that increased the Braves’ lead to 3-0. Olson also led off the seventh with a walk and scored on an RBI triple off the bat of Michael Harris II. He finished his night by reaching on an error in the eighth before once again being driven in by Harris. He’s having a solid all-around season at the dish once again, hitting .269/.347/.549 with 32 homers and 70 RBI across 504 plate appearances.

Olson’s home run was his 30th. He hit a solo shot off Miles Mikolas in the first inning. Olson has now reached the 30-homer plateau in five seasons. It’s the third time he’s reached 30 home runs in a season in five years with the Braves. Olson is hitting .264 with an .876 OPS and 68 RBI.

There were very few opportunities for offense in this 1-0 win for the Braves. Olson drove in the only run though and has had a phenomenal season in total with 28 home runs, 66 RBI, a .264 batting average, and .866 OPS. Look for him to continue to produce at a high level as we come to the home stretch.

Olson connected for a two-run shot off lefty Sean Manaea, but it was the only scoring Atlanta could muster in the matinee. His 28 home runs rank seventh in the majors to date, and he’s top-five in runs and top-20 in RBI. It has been yet another strong campaign for Olson. While he’s unlikely to match his career-high 54 homers from 2023, he’s on track to blow past the 29 he hit in each of the past two seasons.