Olson continues remarkable run, but Braves lose Wrigley series

CHICAGO -- The Braves were one swing away from tying things up in the ninth inning Sunday at Wrigley Field. And with first baseman Matt Olson at the plate, manager Brian Snitker liked their chances.

“His at-bats have been unbelievable,” Snitker said. “Honestly, I expected him to tie the game in the ninth when he came up as the tying run. I felt really good right there. Just missed one.”

With one out and Ozzie Albies on second base after a leadoff double, Olson flied out to Cubs shortstop Dansby Swanson, just getting under a slider from right-hander Adbert Alzolay. The Cubs' closer then got Travis d’Arnaud to ground out to Swanson, sealing a 6-4 defeat and a series loss for the Braves.

Atlanta was in that position in the ninth despite a game of missed opportunities and mistakes. But there are no moral victories for a team that entered the day leading MLB in wins.

“I don't think we look for consolations,” Snitker said. “I think we expect to win, and we're not real happy when we don't. I don't think there's any consolations in losing. We’ve just got to wake up tomorrow and start another streak.”

The Braves played a nearly perfect game Friday, with Max Fried shutting down a red-hot Cubs team. Saturday and Sunday weren’t nearly as clean.

Atlanta went 2-for-10 with runners in scoring position Saturday and 4-for-13 Sunday, leaving 19 runners on base. Sunday, the Braves loaded the bases in the sixth inning but scored only one run -- on a hit-by-pitch.

On the bases, Orlando Arcia was doubled off first base in the fourth inning on a Kevin Pillar flyout to center field. Arcia was nearly at second when Cody Bellinger made the catch.

In the fifth, Ronald Acuña Jr. was thrown out at home plate on a single by Ozzie Albies to right field, and it wasn’t particularly close. The game was tied at 2 in both moments.

“We just have to be more aware of what’s going on,” Snitker said. “You're always looking ahead or thinking ahead when you're on the bases -- situation, score and all that. We're just capable of being better.”

Charlie Morton walked four batters in 4 1/3 innings, allowing four hits and being charged with five earned runs. Although there was light rain throughout the game, he said the weather did not affect him.

“I wasn’t executing really much of anything. I threw a ton of pitches [37] in the third,” Morton said. “It’s the same story -- an inning where I throw way too many pitches and lose feel for the ball.”

The Braves got off to a fast start Sunday. Olson crushed a 453-foot two-run homer in the third that nearly left the ballpark. It’s the third-longest homer of his career since Statcast began tracking in 2015, and part of an impressive stretch at the plate.

Olson entered Sunday hitting .320/.402/.800 over his last 40 games, dating back to June 15. He has 21 homers and 52 RBIs over that stretch. Just as impressive: He’s walked 22 times compared to 34 strikeouts.

He laid off four straight pitches on the outer half in his first plate appearance to draw a walk against Cubs ace Justin Steele. Two innings later, he ran a full count and capitalized on a Steele mistake, homering on a slider hung over the middle of the plate.

“Steele’s obviously got really good stuff and is a good starter,” Olson said. “You’ve got to be tough on him and make him come to you a little bit. I was able to grind out some pitches and get something good.”

Olson, who also added an RBI single in the fifth, has tied his career high with 39 homers, and his 97 RBIs are 14 shy of matching a career high -- both set in 2021.

“He’s putting together a monster season,” Snitker said.

The Braves came up short the last two days, but the Cubs are also playing some of their best baseball this season. They’ve won 15 of 19 games and six straight series.

“We didn’t play good, and we ran up against a hot team,” Snitker said. “They played pretty good, like we did the first day here. They’re swinging the bats really good. Their bullpen has been really good. They’re a good club.”

Atlanta will look to get back on track Monday, when it opens a four-game series against the Pirates at PNC Park.

“It’s a good team over there,” Olson said of the Cubs. “They played well this series, and we just came up short in a couple games. Go to Pittsburgh, hopefully get back on track, win a series and go from there.”