BALTIMORE — The Atlanta Braves escaped a late collapse and left Camden Yards with a 3-2 win in 11 innings Sunday, staying alone in first place in the National League East.
According to ESPN’s game report, Matt Olson caught Gunnar Henderson’s line drive and stepped on first for a double play in the bottom of the 10th with the bases loaded. An inning later, Austin Riley doubled home Jorge Mateo for the deciding run.
Atlanta improved to 62-43. Baltimore fell to 51-55. The Braves held a 5.5-game lead over the Philadelphia Phillies in the NL East standings listed with the final.
How the scoring unfolded
Dominic Smith drove in Atlanta’s first two runs with singles, plating Michael Harris II in the second and Olson in the fourth, per the ESPN scoring summary.
Baltimore did not score until the eighth, when Pete Alonso homered. The Orioles tied the game in the ninth when Jackson Holliday’s groundout scored Coby Mayo.
The Braves stranded traffic and survived the 10th before Riley’s 11th-inning double. Tyler Kinley earned the win. Andrew Kittredge took the loss.
Reynaldo López started for Atlanta and worked 5 2/3 scoreless innings with six strikeouts before the bullpen finished the final 5 1/3. ESPN’s box score credits the win to Kinley (6-4) after he recorded the final outs in extras.
Extra-inning drama and manager choices
ESPN’s recap highlighted an unusual intentional walk ordered by Atlanta manager Walt Weiss with runners on first and second in the bottom of the 11th. The move was followed by Kinley escaping the inning and securing the one-run win.
The double play that ended the 10th was the clearest defensive hinge of the afternoon. With the bases loaded and the game still tied, Olson’s catch-and-step combination snuffed a potential walk-off without a ball leaving the infield dirt for a hit.
Smith finished 3-for-5 with two RBIs. Drake Baldwin had two hits. Riley’s double was his only hit in four at-bats but the one that decided the game.
What’s next
Atlanta opens a three-game set at the New York Mets next, with Fox Sports listing a Monday night first pitch at Citi Field. The Braves enter that series as the NL East leaders after grinding out a road win that required 11 innings, six pitchers and one of the oddest defensive endings of their week.
Sunday’s result also kept pressure on the rest of the division. Philadelphia remained 5.5 games back after its own win, while Washington, Miami and New York trailed further in the standings published with the Braves-Orioles final.
For a club that has mixed power nights with bullpen grinders all summer, the Camden Yards win was the second kind: early production from Smith, a late scare, then one swing from Riley.