BALTIMORE (AP) — Matt Olson caught Gunnar Henderson's line drive and stepped on first for an improbable double play in the bottom of the 10th, and Austin Riley's RBI double an inning later lifted the Atlanta Braves to a 3-2 victory over the Baltimore Orioles on Sunday.
Every game in this series was decided by a run, with the Braves winning Friday and Sunday in extra innings and the Orioles managing a walk-off victory Saturday. The finale went to extra innings thanks
largely to an error by Atlanta second baseman Ozzie Albies, but Baltimore loaded the bases in the 10th with the score 2-all and couldn't win it.
Henderson has had a nightmare of a 2026 season, playing poorly while also having bad luck at times. He hammered a line drive right at first base, where Olson could catch it and step on the bag almost in one motion as runner Pete Alonso frantically tried to dive back.
Replays showed the play was extremely close, but the double play stood. Then Taylor Ward — who left the winning run at third in the ninth inning in Friday’s loss — popped out.
After Riley put Atlanta ahead with his double off Andrew Kittredge (1-3), the Braves wasted their own bases-loaded situation when Albies hit a one-out popup and Olson hit a flyout. But Tyler Kinley (6-4) held on in the bottom of the 11th.
With men on first and second and two outs, the Braves intentionally walked Jackson Holliday, which loaded the bases and put the winning run in scoring position — but also forced catcher Sam Huff to bat. Baltimore's two power-hitting catchers — Adley Rutschman and Samuel Basallo — are both on the injured list, and Huff and Chadwick Tromp have provided virtually nothing offensively in their absence.
Tromp had already come out of the game, and the Orioles were out of bench players. So Huff grounded out to third, lowering his average to .121 on the season.
Atlanta led 2-0 in the eighth before Alonso's solo homer. Then Raisel Iglesias blew just his second save in 23 chances this season. Albies let a one-out grounder through his legs, leaving men on first and third with one out in the ninth. Then Holliday hit a sharp grounder, but Albies made a terrific diving stop. The tying run scored, but Albies threw to first for the second out, and the Braves were able to get the game to extra innings.
Atlanta heads to New York to face the Mets. Martín Perez (6-6) starts for the Braves on Monday night against Zac Thornton (1-1).
The Orioles are at Detroit. Kyle Bradish (7-9) takes the mound Monday night against Keider Montero (7-5) of the Tigers.
___
AP MLB: https://apnews.com/hub/MLB
