Atlanta Braves Blow 4-0 Lead, Miss Big Opportunity to Gain on Phillies

The Atlanta Braves blew a golden opportunity to cut the Philadelphia Phillies lead in the NL East to four games and keep the pressure on.

Atlanta Braves first base Matt Olson hits a two RBI home run during the third inning against the Philadelphia Phillies. / Bill Streicher-USA TODAY Sports

The Atlanta Braves fell to the Philadelphia Phillies 5-4. They blew a 4-0 lead to miss out on a big win in a division race. 

They got an RBI single from Orlando Arcia and then two home runs from Matt Olson to plate four. But they couldn't keep the momentum and put the Phillies away.

A Double-Dinger Night for Matt O💣 pic.twitter.com/mTbcfOJ1Bh

— Bally Sports: Braves (@BravesOnBally) August 30, 2024

“We were kinda flirting with disaster the whole game, really,” Braves manager Brian Snitker said. “It’s good that we jumped out, scored some runs. We won a bunch of games recently just like that one. It is what it is.” 

Not quite the best response when up 4-0, but it’s understandable when looking at the full context of the game. 

For the first five innings, starter Charlie Morton held the Phillies scoreless despite allowing baserunners in every inning. But in the sixth, those baserunners caught up with him. 

Brandon Marsh, who Morton had struck twice in the game before this at bat, hit a three-run shot to make it a one-run ballgame. 

“I fall behind 1-0. I need to throw a strike there,” Morton said, “ and I was trying to throw a strike breaking ball, and, you know, he stayed with it and hit it out to left.” 

It could be argued that Snitker left Morton for too long. But perhaps hindsight is 20/20 in moments like these. 

“If I had known [Marsh] was going to hit a home run, I would’ve taken [Morton] out,” Snitker said after the game. “I don’t have that luxury.” 

Everyone is left frustrated after the game, but they’re taking the usual approach after a loss, at least on record: Take away what you can learn from this game and prepare for the next one. 

“I think that’s what good teams do,” first baseman Matt Olson said following the loss. “Find a way to flush it, move on, learn from stuff that happened tonight. Can’t do anything about it now and try to win tomorrow.” 

But really, what else was Olson going to say here? Can’t imagine expressing annoyance for hitting two home runs and still ending up on the losing side of the game would end well. Olson has been doing his part lately. His two home runs extended a red-hot August. After a .612 OPS in July, Olson has eight home runs and 26 RBI with an OPS of .933.

They can still go rattle off three straight to win the series and get to three games back, but that’s easier said than done. The five-games-back remains the impossible hurdle. 

The Braves continue their series with the Phillies on Friday night. First pitch is set for 6:40 p.m.