PITTSBURGH โ The Atlanta Braves triumphed over the Pittsburgh Pirates in a closely contested match on Saturday, edging them out 3-2 in 11 innings. Matt Olson played a crucial role by hitting a home run in the third inning and then scoring the decisive run in extra innings on a wild pitch.
Chase Shugart, the Piratesโ pitcher, was on the mound in the 11th inning. He managed to get Sean Murphy to ground out with Olson positioned at third base. Opting for strategic play, Shugart intentionally walked Michael Harris II, bringing Eli White to the plate. A pitch to White nearly hit him, veering instead to the backstop, allowing Olson to dash home for the winning run.
The Piratesโ hopes were alive in the 10th inning as KeโBryan Hayes executed a sacrifice bunt, advancing automatic runner Henry Davis to third. However, Davis was tagged out trying to score when Matt Gorski grounded to third base. Atlantaโs pitcher, Scott Blewett, continued his solid performance by getting Alexander Canario to fly out, maintaining the tie.
Joey Bart starred for Pittsburgh with four singles, his crucial eighth-inning contribution helping to level the score. After Bartโs single, Ji Hwan Bae stepped in as a pinch-runner, showcasing his speed by stealing second base. Advancing on a groundout, Bae ultimately scored when Gorskiโs hit trickled down the third-base line.
In managerial moves, Don Kelly, newly acting as Pirates manager following Derek Sheltonโs firing earlier that week, was ejected midway through the sixth inning. This came after an altercation with plate umpire Clint Vondrak, who had called consecutive balls at the start of Olsonโs at-bat.
Scoring opened for Atlanta in the second inning with back-to-back doubles by Sean Murphy and Michael Harris, giving the team an early lead. Olson extended the lead by launching a 431-foot home run off a sinker from Andrew Heaney.
A key moment came when Pittsburghโs Canario reached third base at the start of the 11th due to Jared Trioloโs sacrifice bunt. Despite the opportunity, Scott Blewett stood firm for the Braves, striking out Liover Peguero and forcing Tommy Pham to ground out.
The Piratesโ offensive challenge was highlighted by their struggle to score, marking the 16th consecutive game where they failed to exceed five runsโa stretch not seen since 1908.
Looking ahead, the Braves will pitch Chris Sale (1-3, 4.07 ERA) in the series finale on Sunday, while the Pirates will counter with Carmen Mlodzinski (1-3, 6.16 ERA). The clash promises another exciting match as both teams vie for a win.