Olson drives in 5 with 2 HRs, including go-ahead shot, as Braves sweep Brewers 8-6

2023-07-31 04:53

Matt Olson drove in five runs with two homers, including a go-ahead, two-run blast in the eighth, and the Atlanta Braves beat the Milwaukee Brewers 8-6 to cap their sweep of the high-scoring series

ATLANTA (AP) — Matt Olson drove in five runs with two homers, including a go-ahead, two-run blast in the eighth, and the Atlanta Braves beat the Milwaukee Brewers 8-6 on Sunday to cap their sweep of the high-scoring series.

Olson has 35 homers, the most in the NL, and 88 RBI, the most in the majors. The Braves scored 29 runs in the three-game sweep in the matchup of NL division leaders.

Atlanta began the day leading Philadelphia by 11 games in the NL East. The Brewers led Cincinnati by 1/2 game in the NL Central.

Orlando Arcia led off the eighth with a double to left field off Joel Payamps (4-2). With one out, Olson's 35th homer landed in the Atlanta bullpen in right-center, giving the Braves the lead. It was the first earned runs allowed by Payamps, who took a 1.68 ERA into the game, since June 8.

Kirby Yates (5-0) pitched a scoreless eighth. Raisel Iglesias earned his 20th save by striking out the side in the ninth.

Olson's three-run homer drove in Ronald Acuña Jr., who singled and stole second, and Austin Riley, who walked, to give the Braves a 5-3 lead in the third.

Atlanta rookie AJ Smith-Shawver, recalled from Triple-A Gwinnett before the game, allowed three runs on four hits and four walks in five innings.

Collin McHugh blew the 5-3 lead by giving up three runs in the sixth. William Contreras doubled in two runs for Milwaukee.

Atlanta's Marcell Ozuna tied the game at 6 with his homer off Hoby Milner.

Riley continued his power surge for Atlanta by hitting his eighth homer in the last 11 games, his 24th, in the first. The two-run shot off Colin Rea carried 463 feet to left-center.

Rea allowed five runs in five innings.

Carlos Santana, acquired from Pittsburgh on Saturday, hit his first homer with the Brewers in the third. The liner over the right-field wall gave Milwaukee a 3-2 lead. Christian Yelich led off the third with his 16th homer.

TRAINING ROOM

Brewers: LHP Wade Miley (left elbow) will come off the 15-day injured list to start Wednesday night at Washington. Miley was added to the team's rotation plans Sunday. ... RHP Brandon Woodruff (right shoulder) will pitch for Triple-A Nashville on Tuesday. ... RHP Julio Teheran (right hip impingement) was placed on the 15-day IL. RHP Peter Strzelecki was recalled from Nashville.

Braves: LHP Taylor Hearn was optioned to Triple-A Gwinnett after allowing four runs and recording only one out in Saturday night's 11-5 win. The move cleared a roster spot for Smith-Shawver.

UP NEXT

Brewers: RHP Corbin Burnes (9-6, 3.46) is scheduled to pitch Monday night's opener of a three-game series at Washington against RHP Jake Irvin (3-5, 4.96).

Braves: Atlanta opens an interleague series against the Los Angeles Angels on Monday night as RHP Charlie Morton (10-8, 3.57) faces RHP Griffin Canning (6-4, 4.46). Morton is 4-1 with a 3.83 ERA in 10 career starts against the Angels.

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