ATLANTA (AP) — Matt Olson says it's no mystery why he's leading the majors in RBIs.
In the Atlanta Braves' powerful lineup, Olson is often hitting with runners on base.
Olson drove in five runs with two homers, including a go-ahead, two-run blast in the eighth, and the Braves beat the Milwaukee Brewers 8-6 on Sunday to cap their sweep of the high-scoring series.
Olson has 35 homers, the most in the NL, and 88 RBIs, the most in the majors. The Braves scored 29 runs in the three-game sweep in the matchup of NL division leaders.
“There’s always dudes on base,” Olson said. “I feel like I'm rarely taking at-bats with the bases empty.”
The only player in the majors with more homers than Olson is Shohei Ohtani, with 39. Ohtani will bring the Los Angeles Angels into Atlanta for a series beginning Monday night.
With the sweep, the Braves won five of six against the Brewers in the last two weeks, including two of three in Milwaukee on July 21-23.
“You know you're probably not shutting them out,” said Brewers left fielder Christian Yelich, who had a homer and drove in two runs but described the series as “a tough three days.”
Yelich said a “back-and-forth game” is likely against Atlanta. Sure enough, the Brewers lost despite holding leads of 1-0, 3-2 and 6-5.
“To keep roaring back, it's a testament to how tough these guys are,” said Braves manager Brian Snitker.
Atlanta began the day leading Philadelphia by 11 games in the NL East. The Brewers led Cincinnati by 1/2 game in the NL Central.
Orlando Arcia led off the eighth with a double to left field off Joel Payamps (4-2). With one out, Olson's tie-breaking 35th homer landed in the Atlanta bullpen in right-center, giving the Braves the lead. It was the first earned runs allowed by Payamps, who took a 1.68 ERA into the game, in a span of 18 appearances since June 8.
Kirby Yates (5-0) pitched a scoreless eighth. Raisel Iglesias earned his 20th save by striking out the side in the ninth.
Olson's three-run homer drove in Ronald Acuña Jr., who singled and stole second, and Austin Riley, who walked, to give the Braves a 5-3 lead in the third.
Collin McHugh blew the 5-3 lead by giving up three runs in the sixth. William Contreras doubled in two runs for Milwaukee.
Atlanta's Marcell Ozuna tied the game at 6 with his homer off Hoby Milner.
Riley continued his power surge for Atlanta by hitting his eighth homer in the last 11 games, his 24th, in the first. The two-run shot off Colin Rea carried 463 feet to left-center.
Rea allowed five runs in five innings.
Carlos Santana, acquired from Pittsburgh on Saturday, hit his first homer with the Brewers in the third. The liner over the right-field wall gave Milwaukee a 3-2 lead. Christian Yelich led off the third with his 16th homer.
ROOKIE RETURNS
Atlanta rookie AJ Smith-Shawver, recalled from Triple-A Gwinnett before the game, allowed three runs on four hits and four walks in five innings.
“He's got a great way about him,” said Snitker of the 20-year-old right-hander. “There's no panic in him. ... There's tremendous upside for him as he figures things out.”
FIRST THINGS FIRST
Thanks to Riley's homer, the Braves have scored 109 first-inning runs, the most in the majors by any team in any inning. The Texas Rangers' 90 fourth-inning runs are second on the list.
“We come in ready to swing and ready to do damage,” Ozuna said.
TRAINING ROOM
Brewers: LHP Wade Miley (left elbow) will come off the 15-day injured list to start Wednesday night at Washington. Miley was added to the team's rotation plans Sunday. ... RHP Brandon Woodruff (right shoulder) will pitch for Triple-A Nashville on Tuesday. ... RHP Julio Teheran (right hip impingement) was placed on the 15-day IL. RHP Peter Strzelecki was recalled from Nashville.
Braves: LHP Taylor Hearn was optioned to Triple-A Gwinnett after allowing four runs and recording only one out in Saturday night's 11-5 win. The move cleared a roster spot for Smith-Shawver.
UP NEXT
Brewers: RHP Corbin Burnes (9-6, 3.46) is scheduled to pitch Monday night's opener of a three-game series at Washington against RHP Jake Irvin (3-5, 4.96).
Braves: Atlanta opens an interleague series against the Los Angeles Angels on Monday night as RHP Charlie Morton (10-8, 3.57) faces RHP Griffin Canning (6-4, 4.46). Morton is 4-1 with a 3.83 ERA in 10 career starts against the Angels.
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