ATLANTA — For a few briefs moments Tuesday afternoon, Braves fans trying to beat the end-of-game crush at Truist Park had to stop in their tracks. Matt Olson, the first baseman who emerged from the worst slump of his life a mere two weeks before the start of Atlanta’s fifth consecutive trip to the playoffs, struck a sinking fastball in the bottom of the ninth inning so hard it merited attention. The baseball flew out of his barrel and arced in the middle of the field. The baseball flew on the breeze for six seconds before it finally fell over the wall.
The lingering spectators that hadn’t been bored by the Braves’ earlier sluggishness came to life. Olson roared. His teammates burst into song. He scored three runs, closing a gap that seemed impossible to close for the majority of the afternoon.
But Olson’s swing only brought the Braves to the brink of a late tie in Game 1 of the National League Division Series. And his teammates behind him couldn’t land one more blow against a scrappy Phillies team that, with help from Nick Castellanos’ bat and game-saving catch, sealed a 7-6 victory.
“We always find a way to battle and stay in the game,” Olson said. “It’s good to have a little momentum there at the end. Obviously fell a little short.”
His first start since the flu bug cut short his gem against the Mets in a crucial series sweep, Atlanta ace Max FriedIt was hard to believe he could even seem like himself.
