Atlanta’s Olson has successfully conquered the 50-homer plateau for the first time this year, a significant achievement between Ohtani’s stops
Atlanta Braves slugger Matt Olson, 29, became the first player in Major League Baseball (MLB) to reach the 50-homer plateau this season.
Olson hit his 49th and 50th home runs of the season in back-to-back at-bats against the visiting Philadelphia Phillies at Citizens Bank Park in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, U.S., on Wednesday.
Trailing 4-0 with runners on first and second in the third inning, Olson took a low slider on the body of Philadelphia starter Michael Lorenzen and launched a three-run homer over the right field wall.
He scooped up the pitch, which dropped below his knees, as if it were a golf swing, for a 118-meter home run.
His 50th home run of the season came in the sixth inning.
Again facing Lorenzen, Olson worked a full count and when he saw a changeup on a high outside pitch, he crushed it over the left field fence.
With Shohei Ohtani (Los Angeles Angels), who led the big leagues in home runs until last month when he was sidelined by injury with 44 on the season, Olson, who has been on an uninterrupted home run streak, extended his lead over Ohtani to six, effectively reserving the home run crown.
Olson is also one home run shy of tying Atlanta’s single-season franchise record of 51, set by Andrew Johnson in 2005.
Despite Olson’s 3-for-2 performance with two homers, one walk, and four RBIs, Atlanta fell to Philadelphia 5-7.
Meanwhile, Ohtani, who was in contention with Olson for the MLB home run lead, missed his eighth straight game with a side injury.
Ohtani was named to the starting lineup as the No. 2 hitter against the Seattle Mariners at T-Mobile Park in Seattle, Washington, but was removed from the roster shortly before the game.
Ohtani has been out of action since injuring a side muscle during batting practice on May 5 against the Baltimore Orioles.
Initially, Angels manager Phil Nevin said Ohtani’s condition wasn’t serious and he was expected to return after just one or two games.
However, his recovery has been slower than expected, and there is even talk locally that he could be out for the season.
“We were confident that he would be fine today, 먹튀검증 but after he got ready to play, he said he wasn’t 100 percent, so we took him out of the lineup,” Nevin said.