The Braves hadn’t scored in 21 2/3 innings, a dubious stat squashed by Sean Murphy’s sixth-inning, three-run home run Wednesday in what would become an 8-3 Braves victory over the Angels at Truist Park.
Murphy scorched the first pitch he saw from Angels reliever Ryan Zeferjahn, a cutter down and away, out to left where it cleared the wall to give the Braves the lead for good.
The flood gates, at least on this night, were then officially open.
Matt Olson hit a grand slam later in the inning, also off Zeferjahn. It was the ninth grand slam of the first baseman’s career and his team-leading 16th homer of the season.
Olson, who has reached base in 32 straight games, turned on a 1-0 fastball and planted the 358-foot blast on top of the right field wall where it then bounced into the chop house. He gave a little double-fisted flex of emotion as he rounded first and saw the ball disappear into the sea of fans.
“Every win’s important right now,” Olson said. “To do that all with two outs right there in that inning, to be able to put up seven runs with two outs was big.”
On the mound, the Braves got scoreless outings from relievers Aaron Bummer (1-1), Daysbel Hernandez and Rafael Montero. Dylan Dodd served up a solo home run to Jorge Soler in the ninth, the 200th homer of Soler’s career.
The Braves, now 28-4 when scoring at least five runs, won for just the second time in seven games.
The Angels (42-43) jumped on Braves starter Didier Fuentes in the first with a two-run single by Jo Adell. But Fuentes (0-2) settled in from there and put forth the best start of his young career, going 3 2/3 and working around four hits and three walks. The 20-year-old struck out six, threw 48 fastballs of 92 pitches and fanned Mike Trout twice.
More importantly, perhaps, the Braves (39-46) won for the first time in a game the youngster toed the rubber.
Angels starter Yusei Kikuchi held onto that lead before was pulled in the sixth after back-to-back two-out singles by Jurickson Profar and Ozzie Albies. Zeferjahn (5-2) threw one pitch and all of Kikuchi’s good work went for naught thanks to Murphy’s long ball.
“He’s done a lot of damage here lately,” Braves manager Brian Snitker said of Murphy. “I’m gonna run him back out there (Thursday). It’s been good to see because we saw it the year he made the All-Star team (2023). Now he’s come back and he’s healthy and it’s really good because a big, strong guy like that, man, what he’s hit a grand slam and three-run homer his last three games I think. That’s something that we’ve been lacking.”
Kikuchi was charged two runs over 5 2/3 innings and he fanned seven before exiting with a 2-0 lead.
Profar, activated Wednesday after an 80-game suspension, struck out with the bases loaded in the first and flew out to left with two men on to end the third. But his single in the sixth began the rally that led to the Braves’ seven-run outburst.
He then capped his evening at the plate by launching a 413-foot solo home run in the eighth that hugged the right-field pole.
“Just (looking for) a good pitch to drive, and I got it,” Profar said, still in his uniform with his cap turned backward, smiling alongside his son in the clubhouse after the win. “I think the first at-bat was really, really tough to see a little bit. I just have to get used to it here.”
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