<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/mlb/atlanta-braves/braves-news-matt-olson-joins-cal-ripken-jr-miguel-tejada-with-historic-feat');   ga('set', 'title', 'Braves’ Matt Olson joins Cal Ripken Jr, Miguel Tejada with historic feat');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/Matt-Olson-joins-Cal-Ripken-Jr-Miguel-Tejada-with-historic-feat.jpg"><figcaption>Credit: Brad Penner</figcaption></figure><h1>Braves’ Matt Olson joins Cal Ripken Jr, Miguel Tejada with historic feat</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2025-06-26T17:00:03-07:00">June 26th, 5:00pm</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2025-06-26T17:00:03-07:00">June 26th, 5:00pm</time><address><a href="https://www.facebook.com/chris.spiering.3" rel="facebook">Chris Spiering</a>Chris Spiering graduated from the University of San Diego with a Communication Studies Degree. He spent his final year as the Sports Editor for the USDVista newspaper. Chris manages the betting team at ClutchPoints and contributes about the NFL, MLB, and NBA, but he follows most sports, including NCAA Basketball. Chris also covers San Diego State men's basketball for East Village Times.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">Atlanta Braves</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>The <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/mlb/atlanta-braves/braves-news-closer-stat-save-drought-2025">Atlanta Braves</a> and New York Mets are playing the final game of their series right now at Citi Field. When the first pitch happened, Braves’ star first baseman Matt Olson made history.</p><p>The <a href="https://x.com/SlangsOnSports/status/1938373559073538541">first baseman played his 700th game in a row</a> that ranges from May 2, 2021, to now. 700 straight games is something to be proud of, as you hardly see it in today’s league.</p><p>Since 1969, Olson has joined this elite group of players, thanks to the brilliant Sarah Langs.</p><p>1982-98 Cal Ripken Jr: 2,632<br>1975-83 Steve Garvey: 1,207<br>2000-07 Miguel Tejada: 1,152<br>1978-83 Pete Rose: 745<br>1981-86 Dale Murphy: 740</p><p>Olson will have a chance to surpass both Pete Rose and Sale Murphy this season, and is 46 games away from being fourth all-time on this list. Nobody will likely ever catch Cal Ripken Jr, but if there were someone, Olson has the best chances for now. However, Olson would be about 10 seasons away from being even close to doing that.</p><p>Olson is having a great season with the Braves. Before the game right now against the Mets, Olson was hitting .257 with 15 home runs and 52 RBIs. His 52 RBIs are tied for 19th in the league. He adds a .845 OPS (28th) and has walked 50 times, resulting in a dominant .479 on-base percentage.</p><p>His WAR is already 3.3, and is on pace to be the second-highest of his career. In 2023, Olson had a 7.4 WAR for the Braves in a stunning season where he smashed 54 homers and 139 RBIs. Many thought the Braves would win it all that season, but came just short.</p><p>It’s been a rough start to this season, but the Braves are talented enough to get back on track. <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/mlb/atlanta-braves/braves-news-ronald-acuna-jr-home-run-derby-message-fire-fans-up">Superstar Ronald Acuna Jr. is back in the lineup</a> and doing MVP-caliber things already. It’s expected that the Braves will find a way to be close to making the postseason, after starting the year 0-7. First, they need to take care of business and defeat the New York Mets on Thursday.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Braves’ Matt Olson joins Cal Ripken Jr, Miguel Tejada with historic feat

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/mlb/atlanta-braves/braves-news-matt-olson-atlanta-underperformance');   ga('set', 'title', 'Matt Olson drops optimistic take amid Braves’ underperformance');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/Matt-Olson-reacts-after-striking-out.jpg"><figcaption>Eric Hartline-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><h1>Matt Olson drops optimistic take amid Braves’ underperformance</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2025-05-31T07:57:16-07:00">May 31st, 7:57am</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2025-05-31T07:57:16-07:00">May 31st, 7:57am</time><address><a href="https://www.facebook.com/joey.mistretta/" rel="facebook">Joey Mistretta</a>Joey Mistretta is a Dallas Mavericks beat reporter, Dallas Wings beat reporter and lead MLB editor for ClutchPoints. He is originally from Lake Arrowhead, California. Mistretta graduated from Biola University with a degree in broadcast journalism.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">Atlanta Braves</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>The Atlanta <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/other-sports/braves-2-most-disappointing-players-in-2025">Braves’ underperformance</a> continued on Friday night as they were defeated 5-1 by the Boston Red Sox. Atlanta now holds a 26-30 record overall, and the team has continued to trend in the wrong direction in the National League East standings. The Braves are currently in fourth place in the division, sitting 9.5 games back of the first-place Philadelphia Phillies. First baseman Matt Olson is <a href="https://www.mlb.com/braves/news/braves-offensive-struggles-continue-in-loss-to-red-sox" rel="noopener">not giving up hope</a>, though.</p><p>“I still think we’re right on the edge of turning this thing around and playing the baseball we can play,” Olson said, via Mark Bowman of MLB.com.</p><p>The Braves have been one of the most consistent contenders in recent memory. Atlanta always seems to be in the postseason conversation. It would not surprise anyone around the MLB world to see the team turn things around. In fact, most of the MLB world probably expects the Braves to find their footing soon.</p><p>Nevertheless, there is no denying the fact that Atlanta has failed to meet preseason expectations. Injuries have played a role, but Ronald Acuna Jr. and Spencer Strider have returned. Yet, the Braves still continue to slump overall.</p><p><a href="https://clutchpoints.com/mlb/braves-news-matt-olson-rips-offense-after-wasting-bryce-elders-strong-start">Matt Olson is among the Braves who have struggled</a> to begin the ’25 campaign. The 31-year-old slugger currently holds a .238/.336/.457 slash line to go along with a .793 OPS. He’s also hit 12 home runs and 10 doubles.</p><p>A number of Braves hitters have underperformed up to this point in the 2025 season. Atlanta’s pitching has endured its ups and downs. At the end of the day, it is difficult to envision this Braves ball club playing under .500 baseball all season long.</p><p>Optimism remains, but the Braves need to get things going sooner rather than later. Atlanta will attempt to bounce back on Saturday afternoon in a home matchup against the Red Sox. First pitch is scheduled for 4:10 PM EST.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Matt Olson drops optimistic take amid Braves’ underperformance

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/mlb/atlanta-braves/braves-news-matt-olson-born-with-it-ronald-acuna-jr-admission-scorching-start');   ga('set', 'title', 'Braves’ Matt Olson makes ‘born with it’ Ronald Acuna Jr. admission after scorching start');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/Acuna-vs-the-Padres.jpg"><figcaption>Brett Davis-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><h1>Braves’ Matt Olson makes ‘born with it’ Ronald Acuna Jr. admission after scorching start</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2025-05-25T12:54:48-07:00">May 25th, 12:54pm</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2025-05-25T12:54:48-07:00">May 25th, 12:54pm</time><address><a>Jackson Stone</a>Jackson Stone is a Mercer University senior from Atlanta on track to graduate with a BA in communications. A lifelong sports lover, Jackson is a die-hard fan of all Atlanta teams. He joined ClutchPoints in 2023.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">Atlanta Braves</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p><a href="https://clutchpoints.com/mlb/atlanta-braves/braves-news-ronald-acuna-jr-sizzling-start-another-home-run">The Atlanta Braves are sure happy</a> to have<a href="https://clutchpoints.com/mlb/atlanta-braves/braves-news-ronald-acuna-jr-agrees-brian-snitker-claim-amid-injury-return"> Ronald Acuna Jr. back in the lineup</a>. Just about a year after suffering the second torn ACL of his career, Acuna rejoined the Braves’ lineup this past week and wasted no time returning to the MVP version of himself, crushing the very first pitch he saw into the Truist Park seats.</p><p>While the Braves went on to lose that game vs the San Diego Padres, Acuna did not stop there, launching another home run in the next game of the series, which the Braves ended up winning 7-1.</p><p>After the game, Braves first baseman Matt Olson made <a href="https://www.mlb.com/news/ronald-acuna-jr-matt-olson-homer-in-braves-game" rel="noopener">a blunt admission</a> about what makes Acuna so special.</p><p>“Sometimes, you’re just born with it, and he definitely was,” said Olson, per Mark Bowman of MLB.com.</p><p>Olson also spoke on what makes Acuna so hard to game plan against for opposing pitchers.</p><p>“[Opponents] can’t ease their way into a game with Ronald,” Olson said. “Last night, perfect example, 115 for a homer. He’s dynamic when he gets on the bases, and the throw [outfield assist] he made last night to second. He’s the MVP and it’s good getting that kind of guy back.”</p><h2><b>Can the Braves turn it around?</b></h2><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/Ronald-Acuna-Jr.-cover.jpg"></figure><p>The Braves got off to a horrid 0-7 start to this season, getting swept by both the Padres and the Los Angeles Dodgers to open up the year. However, the team has been slowly chipping away at the gap in the standings in the weeks since then, and they now sit just a game under .500 at 25-26, with still plenty of time to make up even more ground.</p><p>Acuna’s reinsertion into the lineup will certainly help with that cause, as the 2023 NL MVP has looked every bit like the pre-injury version of himself in the two games since returning, recording some impressive plays in the outfield as well as at the plate.</p><p>The Braves will wrap up their series vs the Padres on Sunday afternoon at 4:10 PM ET, once again from Truist Park in Atlanta.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Braves’ Matt Olson makes ‘born with it’ Ronald Acuna Jr. admission after scorching start

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/mlb/atlanta-braves/braves-news-matt-olson-rips-offense-after-wasting-bryce-elders-strong-start');   ga('set', 'title', 'Braves’ Matt Olson rips offense after wasting Bryce Elder’s strong start');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/Matt-Olson.jpg"><figcaption>Brett Davis-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><h1>Braves’ Matt Olson rips offense after wasting Bryce Elder’s strong start</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2025-05-10T08:54:07-07:00">May 10th, 8:54am</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2025-05-10T08:54:07-07:00">May 10th, 8:54am</time><address><a>Josh Davis</a>Josh Davis is an Associate Editor at ClutchPoints with a focus on MLB. As the founder and creator of OutOfSightSports, Josh spearheads the development and expansion of an engaging social media platform, with a core focus on Twitter/X. A passionate sports writer, Josh is dedicated to delivering compelling content that connects fans and fuels vibrant sports conversations. His vision is to craft stories so vivid that fans feel like they’re standing at the plate or on the field.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">Atlanta Braves</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>The Atlanta <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/betting/braves-vs-pirates-prediction-odds-pick-5-9-2025">Braves had a golden opportunity to reach .500</a> for the first time this season, but another underwhelming night at the plate spoiled a quality outing from Bryce Elder, leaving Matt Olson and company searching for answers.</p><p>Facing a Pittsburgh Pirates team that had just fired its manager and was on a seven-game losing streak, Atlanta managed only two runs in a 3-2 loss at PNC Park on Friday night.</p><p>Elder allowed just three earned runs across six innings and struck out eight without walking a batter. It was a solid outing, his third quality start in the last four games, but once again, the Braves’ offense <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/athletic/6345756/2025/05/09/braves-elite-infield-defense-erratic-offense/?source=emp_shared_article" rel="noopener">failed to show up</a> in time.</p><p>“We’d like to get over that .500 hump and start getting on the winning side of things,” Braves first baseman Matt Olson told David O’Brien of the Athletic. “Definitely not a good offensive performance from us tonight. Bryce threw the ball really well. Bullpen threw the ball well. We just couldn’t give him any support there until the end.”</p><h2><b>Braves struggle to get back to .500</b></h2><p>The defeat dropped the Braves to 18-20, marking their fourth failed attempt to even their record this year. Despite a recent stretch where the team won 13 of 19, inconsistency at the plate remains a glaring issue.</p><p>Olson, who owns a .222 batting average but a strong .358 on-base percentage and .750 OPS, emphasized personal accountability as well.</p><p>“You’re gonna be frustrated with a night like that,” Olson added. “We had some chances, especially me personally, with some guys in scoring position, and just not good at-bats. There’s no way to put it nicely. You want those situations, and you want to go out and produce. And (we) didn’t until the end.”</p><p>While the Braves’ infield defense continues to perform at an elite level, leading the league in metrics like Defensive Runs Saved and Outs Above Average, it’s the offense that remains unpredictable from game to game.</p><p>The <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/mlb/atlanta-braves/braves-news-austin-riley-sounds-off-dodgers-win-turning-point">Braves felt they had reached a turning point</a> in the season earlier this week with a big win over the Los Angeles Dodgers, which made Friday’s loss to the Pirates even more frustrating. Until the offensive inconsistency changes, even strong starts from pitchers like Bryce Elder won’t be enough to lift Atlanta into serious contention.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Braves’ Matt Olson rips offense after wasting Bryce Elder’s strong start

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/mlb/atlanta-braves/braves-news-matt-olson-mlb-milestone-twins');   ga('set', 'title', 'Matt Olson reaches huge MLB milestone in Braves-Twins game');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/Braves-news-Matt-Olson-reaches-huge-MLB-milestone-in-Twins-game.jpg"><figcaption>Brett Davis-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><h1>Matt Olson reaches huge MLB milestone in Braves-Twins game</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2025-04-19T18:57:29-07:00">April 19th, 6:57pm</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2025-04-19T18:57:29-07:00">April 19th, 6:57pm</time><address><a>Zachary Howell</a>Zachary Howell is an Associate Editor at ClutchPoints focusing on creating premier MLB content. He is a big fan of the Yankees, Oklahoma City Thunder and the Syracuse Orange. In his free time, he likes to be outside or read.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">Atlanta Braves</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>Atlanta Braves first baseman Matt Olson is a 10-year MLB veteran and is one of the best offensive players in the league at his position.</p><p>In the first inning of Saturday’s game against the Minnesota Twins, Olson hit a RBI double off of Justin Topa that scored Alex Verdugo. The swing didn’t just score a run, though. It <a href="https://x.com/FanDuelSNBraves/status/1913757327028584507" rel="noopener">marked the 1,000th hit </a>of Olson’s career.</p><p>Olson had a special moment atop second base at Truist Park, and fans celebrated the major milestone with raucous applause. The 31-year-old has become a fan favorite in Atlanta since replacing franchise legend Freddie Freeman in 2022. He has been a Brave for four years, providing consistent power to one of MLB’s most explosive offenses.</p><p>Of Olson’s first 1,000 hits, more than a quarter of them(261) were home runs, a true testament to his ability to drive pitches out of the park. The first baseman’s hit off of Topa will hopefully mark the beginning of a turnaround, though. The Brave is off to a slow start in 2025, batting just .205 with only two home runs in more than 65 plate appearances this season. <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/mlb/atlanta-braves/what-has-gone-wrong-with-braves-matt-olson-after-home-run-leading-season">Matt Olson’s struggles from 2024</a> have followed him into this year.</p><p>He isn’t the only Atlanta player who is having trouble. The team is currently in last place in the NL East, more than five games behind the New York Mets, who have been leading the division for the majority of the young season.</p><p>The slow start can be attributed to many factors. <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/mlb/atlanta-braves/braves-news-ronald-acuna-closer-to-return-latest-injury-update">One is injuries to Spencer Strider and Ronald Acuña Jr.</a> that have held them out of the lineup for stretches of the season.</p><p>The Braves certainly have the talent necessary to rebound and fight their way back into contention. Atlanta hopes that Olson’s 1,000th hit will help get him out of his slump and back into All-Star form.</p><p>For now, though, the Braves will continue to try and find their way back to their former glory.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

2025 SEASON STATS
BA	HR	RBI	OPS	SB
.256	15	52	0.834	0

2025 SEASON STATS
BA	HR	RBI	OPS	SB
.256	15	52	0.834	0

Matt Olson

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Matt Olson reaches huge MLB milestone in Braves-Twins game

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