Matt Olson's 10th-Inning Homer Lifts Braves Past Orioles in 7-6 Thriller

The Atlanta Braves topped the Baltimore Orioles 7-6 in an extra-inning thriller, improving to 61-42 and a stellar 6-2 since the All-Star break, extending their lead in the NL East to 5.5 games.

Grant Holmes got the start for the Braves and hurled five innings, allowing three runs while striking out five and walking two. He threw 91 pitches, relying heavily on his slider, four-seam fastball and cutter.

Baltimore struck first with a two-run double off the bat of Christian Encarnacion-Strand, who has been scorching hot at the plate since his call-up from Triple-A. This is his second stint in the major leagues after debuting with the Cincinnati Reds a couple of years ago. He has three home runs in five games.

The Braves wouldn't be able to generate any offense until the fourth inning after failing to capitalize on a Joey Bart one-out double in the third. Ozzie Albies got things started in the fourth with a single. After a Matt Olson strikeout, Michael Harris doubled, sneaking the ball over the left fielder's head to move Albies to third.

Mauricio Dubón then scored Albies with a sacrifice fly. Austin Riley followed with a 109 mph single through the middle to score Harris and tie the game at 2.

Riley is hitting .355 with a 1.039 OPS since the All-Star break.

Baltimore played small ball in the fourth inning, using a sacrifice bunt and a sacrifice fly by Jackson Holliday to take a 3-2 lead. The Orioles threatened in the fifth, however. Baltimore put runners on second and third with one out after a Pete Alonso double. Holmes hunkered down and recorded two straight outs to limit the damage. Jorge Mateo and Matt Olson combined for the third out to end the inning.

Atlanta got more elite defense in the sixth, as Dubon made a full-extension diving catch to save a run with two outs, keeping the Orioles' lead at one.

Trevor Rogers exited after the seventh inning, allowing two runs on six hits while striking out six. Drake Baldwin immediately took advantage of Rogers' absence, pulling a changeup below the zone over the right-center-field fence.

With the game tied at 3, Baltimore loaded the bases after a Pete Alonso single and an intentional walk to Gunnar Henderson. Reliever Elieser Hernández induced a groundout by Taylor Ward to end the inning and send the game to extras.

With runners on first and third in the 10th inning, Jim Jarvis grounded to Jackson Holliday at second base, who threw the ball five feet over Gunnar Henderson's head, turning what should have been a double play into a run for the Braves and leaving runners on second and third. Matt Olson then delivered the moment of the night for the Braves, belting a three-run home run to extend the lead to 7-3.

Christian Encarnacion-Strand belted a two-run home run in the 10th inning to make it 7-6, but the Braves held on for the comeback victory.