Jesse RogersESPN Staff Writer September 29, 2023, 12:383 minutes read
Matt Olson’s 54th HR gives him the Braves single-season RBI record
Matt Olson’s two-run home run gives him 136 runs batted in this season, a new Braves record.
ATLANTA – The Atlanta Braves secured home-field advantage in the postseason after defeating the Chicago Cubs 5-3 on Thursday night, ensuring that no team will win more than their 103 games.
The Baltimore Orioles also have 103 wins, but Atlanta is in the tiebreaker due to its 2-1 record in the direct duel.
“It’s huge,” catcher Travis d’Arnaud said after completing the win over the Cubs. “Our fan base here is electric. This is a huge advantage for us. I was on the other side where the fans attack you. This makes for a hard night’s sleep and an unpleasant game.”
Once again the Braves were powered by the long ball as first baseman Matt Olson hit his 54th major league home run and drove in two runs, raising his season total to 136 and breaking the franchise record set by Eddie Mathews , who drove in 1953.
“I think it’s cool,” Olson said. “I think when you’re in the middle of the season you don’t think about it too much. Maybe I’ll enjoy a beer over it in the off-season.”
D’Arnaud added: “We sat in the bullpen and said Olsen had to do this in his first at-bat. Hit a two-run home run and get it over with. It worked like that. This organization has such a rich history. “To have the most RBIs and home runs speaks volumes about the season he’s having.”
Olson’s home run was the team’s 304th of the season, three shy of the MLB record set by the Twins in 2019.
The Braves scored two unearned runs as the Cubs played poor defense throughout the series. According to Elias, it is the third time this season that the Braves have won a series despite falling behind in every game, the most such series for a team since the 2019 Astros and the most for the Braves since 1999.
Atlanta will host the opening games of the NLDS, NLCS and World Series if it moves forward.
“It’s great for us to have a home field throughout the playoffs,” third baseman Austin Riley said. “This is something we were hoping for and luckily we did it with the time we had left.”
The Braves have a 51-27 home record with three games remaining in the regular season at Truist Park. They have also hit the most home runs of any team in their home stadium.
“Our guys played like we were the ones fighting for the playoff spot,” Braves manager Brian Snitker said of the win. “You did it. I expect nothing less from this group. You understand what it’s about. This was a good club that came here and we played really well in these three games.”
Before the game, the Braves announced they would allow fans to attend practice next week in preparation for the Division Series. The team is trying to keep the energy high after losing to the Philadelphia Phillies in the opening round last year.
“Knowing where you’re going to be is a big advantage,” Riley said.