Ozzie Albies took the long way back into the Braves’ lineup card, but Tuesday night at Wrigley Field he supplied the swing Atlanta needed most: a go-ahead, two-run homer in the seventh inning of a 6-3 victory over the Cubs.
Key takeaways
- Atlanta moved 5 1/2 games ahead of Philadelphia in the National League East.
- Albies, Ronald Acuña Jr. and Drake Baldwin each delivered a two-run home run.
- Martín Pérez earned the 100th win of his Major League career after working six innings.
- The Braves are 20-1 this season when they hit at least three homers in a game.
- Acuña’s recent surge includes a .366 average and a 1.066 OPS over 18 games.
Albies finds a big answer from the eighth spot
Manager Walt Weiss had already tried a reset with Albies. The second baseman was held out of Thursday’s series finale against the Rays, then came off the bench to line a triple during Atlanta’s pivotal three-run eighth inning. On Tuesday, Weiss penciled the four-time All-Star into the No. 8 spot against Chicago.
Albies entered the night mired in a 19-game stretch in which he had gone 11-for-71, batting .155 with a .500 OPS. But with the score tied in the seventh, he got a 2-1 changeup from Cubs right-hander Jacob Webb and drove it over the ivy in right-center. The blast put Atlanta ahead 4-3.
“The eight spot has gotten some guys hot this year,” Weiss said. “That was great to see. And he got the hit later. The home runs, when we’re thriving, we’re hitting them.”
Albies said the moment felt like the sort of jolt that can change a rough stretch. “Hopefully, this is the night that helps me keep it going all of the way,” he said. “That one definitely felt great.”
The Braves have made a habit of winning when the ball leaves the yard. Their 20-1 record in games with three or more homers trails only Cleveland’s 11-0 mark for the best winning percentage in the Majors under that condition.
Atlanta’s three-homer night came after Cubs starter Kevin Gausman had kept the Braves off the board through five innings.
Acuña heats up as Pérez reaches a milestone
Acuña changed the shape of the game in the sixth, sending a two-run drive just beyond the left-center-field wall. It was his 18th homer of the season and his fifth in his last 13 games.
Weiss had also given Acuña a day out of the lineup in the Aug. 27 series finale against the Dodgers while the 2023 NL MVP was scuffling. Since then, the outfielder has looked much more familiar, batting .366 with a 1.066 OPS across his past 18 games. Three of his five homers in that span came against the Phillies, and Tuesday’s shot further tightened Atlanta’s grip on the division race.
“When he is healthy and he gets on one of these streaks, he’s the best player in baseball,” Albies said. “There’s nothing else to say about that.”
There was another familiar connection in the dugout. Albies and Acuña first became teammates in Atlanta’s instructional league in 2015. They are the only current Braves who played a part in all six of the club’s division titles over the eight seasons before 2026, including the 2018 crown and the 2021 World Series run.
“About an inning after I hit it, I realized we both did it again in the same game,” Albies said. “Yeah, it was just like old days back in the day.”
Baldwin’s two-run homer completed the power display, while Pérez gave the Braves six solid innings. The 35-year-old left-hander allowed three runs, two earned, and his outing gave him career victory No. 100 as he continues to build his case for a postseason rotation assignment.
“It’s special to do it with this team, with my teammates and the coaches,” Pérez said. “I’m really glad to be part of this team.”
Weiss was not ready to talk about a clinch, even with the Braves opening a 5 1/2-game lead over the second-place Phillies. “I’m sure you guys will let me know when we get to clinching something,” he said. “You just need to play well and win games.”
