Categories: 2022 Postgame Recaps

Matt Olson homers twice as Braves defeat Phillies

Matt Olson homered twice against the Phillies Tuesday night. (Rich Graessle/Icon Sportswire)

Final Score: Braves 4, Phillies 3

There was an exhale from Philadelphia Phillies fans when Freddie Freeman, long a thorn in their side, left to sign with the Los Angeles Dodgers this past offseason.

But it was Matt Olson — Freeman’s successor as Atlanta Braves first baseman — who did the Phillies in Tuesday evening.

After Travis d’Arnaud homered off of Zack Wheeler in the second at-bat of the game, Olson followed with a towering home run of his own:

The Phillies tied the game at three with Kyle Schwarber’s 11th homer in the month of June in the bottom of the seventh inning, a 422-foot bomb to dead center field.

However, the tie proved to be a short one, as Olson hit a 395-foot go-ahead home run in the top of the eighth inning off of Andrew Bellatti:

The Braves would add an insurance run in the top of the ninth inning, before A.J. Minter closed out the game in the home half of the frame.

Olson signed an eight-year/$168 million deal on his way in the door to Atlanta, who acquired him in a trade from the Oakland Athletics. Gone from the National League East are two of the biggest Phillies killers ever — Freeman left for Los Angeles and Ryan Zimmerman retired — but Tuesday evening may very well have been the first of many big nights that Olson has against the Phillies over the better part of the next decade.

With the loss, the Phillies fall to 39-36 on the season. Meanwhile, the Braves improve to 43-32. Both continue to chase the New York Mets, who dropped to 47-28 after getting trounced by the Houston Astros Tuesday.

The Phillies will continue their series with the Braves Tuesday night, as Ranger Suárez — and his stirrups — will get the ball.

Shibe Vintage Sports Starting Pitching Performance

Once a Phillie, Charlie Morton may be in the final season of what’s turned into an excellent career. But the 38-year-old was able to scatter seven hits over 5 2/3 innings Tuesday, allowing two earned runs. And really, one of those runs can be attributed to a disastrous defensive play by Marcell Ozuna. Morton’s ERA on the season now sits at 4.73.
Zack Wheeler wasn’t at his best Tuesday night, but he still struck out eight Braves over 6 1/3 innings, while allowing five hits and three earned runs. With a 2.89 ERA, 2.54 FIP and a 2.5 fWAR, Wheeler is a candidate to return to the All-Star Game for the second consecutive year.

Phillies Nugget Of The Game

Kyle Schwarber has reached base in 31 consecutive games.

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