PHILADELPHIA — Matt Olson tied the franchise record when he hit his 51st home run of the season during the fourth inning of Tuesday night’s game against the Phillies at Citizens Bank Park.
With their latest long streak, the Braves moved a step closer to their sixth straight NL East pennant. His 7-6 win in 10 innings Over the Phillies cut their magic number to two, meaning they could clinch the division with a win on Wednesday night.
“I feel like we’re looking forward to the celebration,” said Puerto Rican Eddie Rosario. “I feel very lucky. We’ve had quite a bit of celebrating since I got to Atlanta. “I’m ready to do it again.”
• Remaining games (17): They’re Phillies (1), they’re Marlins (3), vs. Phillies (3), visiting Nationals (4), vs. Cubs (3), vs. Nationals (3)
• Updated Statuses: The Braves have a 16-game lead over the Phillies in the NL East race. Atlanta is currently the first division leader in the Old Circuit, which means they will go straight to the division series starting on October 7th and face the winner of the wild card series between No. 4 and No. 5.
• Magic Number: To qualify for the postseason: 0; Section Title: 2
Olson’s 51 home runs tied the franchise record set by Andrew Jones in 2005. The Braves hit three home runs in the first five innings of Tuesday’s game to increase their season total to 281, two more than the previous one. The Dodgers were set in 2019.
The Braves are on pace to finish the season with 311 home runs, four more than the major league record set by the 2009 Twins.
“Did we do that today?” Braves manager Travis d’Arnaud asked about the combined Old Circuit home run record. “You don’t really realize when you’re doing it because it feels normal, and it’s a situation we’ve been living with all year.”
Ronald Acuna Jr.’s two-run home run off right-handed starter Zack Wheeler in the fifth inning gave the Braves a new National League home run record with 280, surpassing the 2019 Dodgers. A three-run homer from Wheeler.
Acuna needs three more home runs to reach what would be the fourth season with 40 home runs and 40 stolen bases in major league history. It will also be his first 40-60 season as he has 65 steals. No one has stolen more than 46 bases in a campaign in which they hit 40 home runs.
Olsen leads the major leagues in home runs and RBIs. No other player hit more than 44 home runs in 2023. The Braves first baseman has 128 RBIs, 25 more than the next player on the list. He needs seven more RBIs to tie the modern franchise record set by Eddie Matthews in 1953. Gary Sheffield set the club record in Atlanta in 2003 when he scored 132 runs.
