ATLANTA -- Every crew needs a captain. And in a clubhouse full of young stars breaking into the fold, Austin Riley has taken the reins as one of the undeniable leaders for the Braves.

"[Riley's] one of our leaders," manager Brian Snitker said. "He's one of our better players. This guy is one of the better players in baseball. ... Guys look up to him -- the way he acts, how he plays the game and how he approaches each day so professionally. He's a professional."

In Atlanta's 2-1 win over the Marlins on Saturday at Truist Park, which moved Atlanta to two games behind the Mets in the National League East, the third baseman continued his dominance with his fourth consecutive game with a homer. 

Just when the pitching duel seemed won, the Braves had to pull off the walk-off after closer Kenley Jansen allowed three straight runners aboard and a game-tying sacrifice fly to Jerar Encarnacion in the ninth inning.

Matt Olson snapped an 0-for-22 streak with a single to begin the half, and after William Contreras struck out, Michael Harris II followed with a double, placing the winning run 90 feet away. After Vaughn Grissom was intentionally walked and Travis d'Arnaud lined out, recently acquired outfielder Robbie Grossman, who pinch-hit for Eddie Rosario in the seventh, handed the finishing blow to the Marlins with a walk-off walk.

Although Riley didn't see the batter's box in the final frame, he was one of the first players to celebrate with Grossman and the rest of his teammates.

"[Riley's] incredible on the talent side," Grossman said. "Obviously, everyone in the game knows he's an incredibly talented ballplayer, but the person he is, and I think that's what mostly stands out about this clubhouse, is the individuals they have in this clubhouse are just great people. It's fun to come to the yard and be around great people every day and expect to win every night.

"I've been around the league a little bit now and been with a couple teams; I don't think I've played on a team that's this talented, [with] this many guys that can impact a game like they do, and the record speaks for itself," Grossman said.

Riley is on a 10-game on-base streak and a seven-game hitting streak. Over the past seven games, Riley is hitting 11-for-26 (.423) with four homers, six RBIs and two doubles while slugging .962.

The 6-foot-3, 240-pounder's fourth-inning homer was his 35th of the year; he trails Aaron Judge (52) and Kyle Schwarber (36) for the Major League lead.

The blast came against an 84.1 mph curveball from Edward Cabrera. When Riley entered the Majors in 2019, he batted .202 against breaking balls and .250 against offspeed pitches. He's gradually improved his average against both pitches, leading to his career-best .309 average against breaking balls this season, accompanied by a .299 average against offspeed.

"I've been watching the Braves for a long time now, and I've been seeing [Riley] even when he came up," Harris said. "He was having some success when he first came up. He's always been great. I tell him every time he hits a home run [that] I wanna be like him when I grow up. ... I really look up to him, and he's a big leader in this clubhouse."

Riley leads the Majors in extra-base hits (73), ahead of Judge (72). Henry Aaron has the most extra-base hits in a season in Braves history, totaling 92 in 1959. Riley is on pace for 88 this season.

The 25-year-old has 36 doubles to go along with his 35 homers, setting him on pace for a 40 homer/40 double season. Chipper Jones is the only Brave to collect a 40 homer/40 double season when he hit 45 homers and 41 doubles in his National League MVP-winning season in 1999. No player has tallied a 40 homer/40 double season since 2015 when Nolan Arenado and Josh Donaldson each eclipsed the milestone.

Riley's impact goes beyond the numbers. He may have stepped into this "veteran" role slightly earlier than expected in just his fourth Major League season. Yet his leadership and his production on the field are indisputable.

"He's been through a lot at a young age," Snitker said. "He's a world champion. He's been in Game 7 of the NLCS. … He's experienced a whole lot in a short period of time."