And with that, the 2026 regular season comes to a close.
The Atlanta Braves finish 94-68 as NL East champions and are looking for more. Postseason baseball begins Tuesday as the Braves will take on the Philadelphia Phillies in the Wild Card round.
In this final tune-up, Atlanta regulars Ronald Acuña Jr., Drake Baldwin, and Michael Harris II got a full day off. Matt Olson and Ozzie Albies had a couple ABs apiece before getting off their feet. This final game and lineup was very much giving Game 162
as they dropped the series and season finale to the Marlins by a score of 5-3.
The Braves got on the board early courtesy of a home run by Mauricio Dubón. The effervescent Brent Suter, who’d joined the booth for an interview in the top of the third, had a great call.
Ozzie Albies got the start today and notched his first season playing in all 162 games. He went 0-for-2 with a groundout and strikeout before exiting at 3:45 pm. Matt Olson’s day ended at 3:54 pm after a strikeout in the first and a flyout in the fourth. Hugs for Matty O, our modern iron man.
Midway through an anecdote about JR Ritchie’s upcoming wedding, a changeup off the bat of Heriberto Hernández went screaming to left center to tie the ballgame 1-1.
Dom Smith and Kyle Farmer took over at first and second base respectively to start the bottom of the fourth. The two combined for a nice play in the sixth.
Hernández continued to menace Ritchie by hitting a leadoff double in the sixth and, after two outs, came home to score on a single by Esteury Ruiz. Deyvison De Los Santos followed with another single, which prompted a mound visit. This didn’t end up helping much as the first pitch Jared Serna saw doubled home two more Marlins. After keeping them down for most of his 5.2 innings of work, Ritchie was lifted in favor of AJ Smith-Shawver. AJSS got Brian Navarreto looking for the third out.
The Braves got within a run after Ha-Seong Kim worked a ten-pitch AB to walk, Brewer Hicklen blooped in a single down the right field line, an RBI groundout by DaShawn Keirsey Jr., and a single by Dubón off Calvin Faucher to make it 4-3. But Smith-Shawver gave a run back via a leadoff homer by Griffin Conine. He set down the next three in order, but the damage was done and the score would stay 5-3.
What of the other Braves getting some work in? Austin Riley exited after his 0-for-3 afternoon, so Dubón took over at third for the home half of the eighth and Yaz moved to left field. Sean Murphy had a nice day with a single apiece in the second and fifth. Ha-Seong Kim had two walks, a strikeout, and a stellar defensive play in the fourth.
Elieser Hernández entered and set the Marlins down in order in the bottom of the eighth. Sandy Alcantara came on for the save for the Marlins. No, you’re not missing anything, the Marlins are trying something new. Murphy reached to start the inning but would be stranded after the Cy Young winner set down Kim, Hicklen, and got Keirsey Jr. swinging to end it. But the Braves are unscathed and the Delta flight awaits to bring them back home.
Everything resets. Playoff baseball returns to Atlanta on Tuesday afternoon.
