MILWAUKEE (AP) — Matt Olson and Travis d’Arnaud hit back-to-back homers twice, and the Atlanta Braves defeated the Milwaukee Brewers 6-2 on Wednesday.
Olson and d’Arnaud went deep on consecutive pitches from Freddy Peralta in the fourth inning to tie the game as the Braves erased an early 2-0 deficit. Olson hit a 416-foot drive to center field and d’Arnaud added a 412-foot shot to left-center off Nick Mears in the eighth to help the Braves leave Milwaukee with a series victory.
“I couldn't believe it,” d'Arnaud said. “I still can't believe it. I was hoping maybe three times, but I'll take two.”
According to Sportradar, it was the first time two players hit back-to-back homers twice in one game since Houston’s Mauricio Dubón and Jose Altuve did it in a 13-6 victory over Texas on Sept. 4, 2023.
Since moving to Atlanta in 1966, the Braves had accomplished the feat twice before, according to Sportradar. Fred McGriff and David Justice did it against San Francisco on Aug. 25, 1993. Javy Lopez and Andruw Jones teamed up against Montreal on June 13, 1998.
Atlanta moved within 6 1/2 games of first-place Philadelphia in the NL East for the first time since before play on June 22.
It was a breakthrough game for Olson, who has struggled this season after leading the majors with 54 homers and finishing fourth in NL MVP voting last year. Olson was 14 for 90 (.156) in July before the first of his two homers Wednesday.
“He's been working at it, showing up and playing his tail off,” Braves manager Brian Snitker said. “We all know how big that would be if we could get him on a nice roll.”
Austin Riley broke a 2-all tie and put the Braves ahead for good with a bases-loaded, two-out single in the seventh that drove in two unearned runs.
Atlanta’s go-ahead rally started with one out when Orlando Arcia reached on an error by third baseman Joey Ortiz. One out later, Whit Merrifield singled and Jared Koenig (8-3) walked Jorge Soler to load the bases.
Riley greeted Elvis Peguero by hitting a grounder through the left side.
“He gets the groundball he wants to get, and it’s in between third and short," Brewers manager Pat Murphy said. “Really good hitter, but if that ball's over a little more, we're out of the inning and that's it. That's baseball.”
Atlanta took the lead after Pierce Johnson (4-2) ended Milwaukee's sixth-inning threat by striking out Andruw Monasterio with the bases loaded.
Braves starter Chris Sale struck out six and scattered six hits and three walks while allowing two runs over 5 2/3 innings. It was the ninth straight start in which he yielded no more than two runs.
Milwaukee took a 2-0 lead against Sale in the first inning, as the first three batters to face him all singled.
“I think (I was) just kind of maybe overamped a little bit — pitches leaking out over the plate, a couple of their hits just found holes, things like that,” Sale said. “Coming off the mound after a bad first inning, there's so much game left. You can't cash it in there. Just tried to kind of collect myself and get back going in the right direction.”
Peralta struck out seven and permitted three hits, two walks and two runs in six innings. He got some help when Perkins reached his arm over the center-field wall to rob Jarred Kelenic of a homer in the fifth.
The Brewers squandered a chance to break a 2-all tie in the fourth.
Perkins drew a leadoff walk and raced to third on Frelick's single to left. Frelick tried to stretch it into a double and was thrown out by Eddie Rosario.
The Brewers stranded Perkins at third, as Eric Haase struck out and Monasterio lined to right.
UP NEXT
Braves: Begin a four-game home series with the Miami Marlins. RHP Charlie Morton (5-6, 4.16 ERA) starts for the Braves and RHP Max Meyer (2-0, 3.00) pitches for the Marlins on Thursday.
Brewers: Off on Thursday before starting a three-game series at Washington on Friday. RHP Frankie Montas (4-8, 5.01 ERA) starts for the Brewers and RHP Jake Irvin (8-8, 3.44) pitches for the Nationals.
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AP MLB: https://apnews.com/hub/MLB
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