Ozzie

Albies

Like teammate Ronald Acuna Jr., Albies is on a very team-friendly contract which made this option an easy decision for the club to exercise. The 29-year-old second baseman hit .237/.293/.392 with 22 long balls, 73 RBI and four stolen bases in a massive 683-plate appearances while playing in all 162 games for the Braves in 2026.

Albies took Dodgers lefty reliever Tanner Scott deep in the ninth inning to pull Atlanta within a pair of runs at the time. It was his second round-tripper of the postseason. The 29-year-old second baseman gave Atlanta a chance in the final frame, but they were unable to erase a four-run deficit in the final frame.

The Braves already held a 3-0 advantage when Albies clobbered an 0-1 fastball from Zack Wheeler for a 419-foot (106.0-mph EV) two-run shot in the fourth inning. That would be more than enough run support for the Braves’ bullpen in this one. Albies also drew a walk in the contest, reaching base safely in three of his four plate appearances. Next up will be a battle against the Dodgers in Los Angeles on Saturday.

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)

Albies just missed a homer, but Derek Hill was able to keep the ball in the park. The 29-year-old also drew a walk, and scored on Austin Riley’s go-ahead three-run homer in the eighth inning.

All of Atlanta’s runs came on two-run homers; Ronald Acuña Jr. hit the first off Kevin Gausman in the sixth, Albies gave the Braves a 4-3 lead off Jacob Webb in the seventh and then Drake Baldwin provided insurance against Edward Cabrera in the ninth. Albies’ homer came from the eighth spot in the lineup, which was the lowest he’s hit all year. He was batting just .195/.252/.337 in 226 plate appearances since the All-Star break.

Mauricio Dubón is at second base and hitting fifth against Rays RHP Nick Martinez. It appears to just be a routine day off. Albies is 1-for-18 in Atlanta’s last five games and has produced nearly a carbon-copy of last year’s line with a .247/.303/.407 batting line and 21 homers. In 2025, he hit .240/.306/.365 with 16 homers.

Albies’ home run was his 21st of the season. He hit a solo shot off Jake Irvin in the second inning. Albies hadn’t hit a home run since August 11 against the Mets, a span of 18 games. He’s hitting .254 with a .725 OPS and 68 RBI this year.

Acuña had previously hit only first and second this season. Ozzie Albies, who is hitting .230/.286/.374 in 398 plate appearances since May 10, is batting second tonight.

Albies also had a sac fly, because of course he did. Tonight’s was his 13th of the season, overtaking Henry Aaron and Del Crandall for the Braves’ single-season record (oddly enough, both of them did it in 1960). Vinnie Pasquantino in 2023 is the only other player to have 13 sac flies in a season this decade. Francisco Lindor, with 15 in 2016, was the last to have more than that. According to Baseball Reference, the record since sac flies were first tracked in 1954 is 19 by Gil Hodges in 1954.