This is what happens when the tables are turned: ‘Self-protected’ Ohtani and ‘peer-protected’ Olsen in a four-way chase

This is the kind of game that could turn into an upset.

Atlanta Braves left-handed slugger Matt Olson is on a roll, chasing down the home run leader Shohei Ohtani (Los Angeles Angels).

Olson blasted his 34th and 35th home runs of the season on May 31 (ET) against the Milwaukee Brewers at Tri-State Park, cutting the gap to Ohtani (39) to four. Ohtani was held to one hit without a home run the previous day against the Toronto Blue Jays.

Trailing 3-2 with runners on first and second off Milwaukee starter Collin Ray in the bottom of the third inning, Olson pulled a five-pitch 93.8-mph body sinker on a 3B1S pitch for a towering three-run homer. Then, with the score tied 6-6 in the top of the eighth, the second baseman took a 95.1-mph three-seam sinker from Joel Pyjamps over the center field fence for a three-run homer that had a 24-degree launch angle, 107.2 mph bat speed and traveled 431 feet.

It was Olson’s sixth multi-homer game of the season. With his 4-for-5, two-run blast, Olson is batting .259 (102-for-394) with 35 home runs, 88 RBIs, and a .945 OPS. He leads the National League in home runs and both leagues in RBIs. Third in the NL and fourth overall in OPS.

The “chase for Ohtani” is now in full swing. Ohtani seemed to have run away with it in the second half, hitting seven homers, but Olson closed the gap again with two on the day.

It’s worth noting that opposing teams have been keeping a close eye on Ohtani. Since the All-Star break, Ohtani has drawn 18 walks in 15 games, including eight high four-seamers. In the first half of the year, he drew 48 walks in 89 games, with four high-flying pitches. It could be argued that the reluctance to go toe-to-toe with Ohtani became much stronger in the second half. Furthermore, the Angels’ lineup is missing Mike Trout due to injury, so Ohtani is the only one they really have to worry about.

Olson, on the other hand, has 54 strikeouts in 89 games in the first half of the season (including two high four-pointers) and seven strikeouts in 14 games in the second half (no high four-pointers). Because Olson is such an all-or-nothing hitter (7th in strikeouts with 123), few pitchers intentionally avoid him.

And with Atlanta’s batting order of Ronald Acuna Jr, A.J. Albies, Austin Riley, and Sean Murphy, there’s no way to avoid him. “When I’m up to bat, my teammates always have runners on base,” Olson said after the game. I rarely come up to bat with runners on base.”

So no matter how good Ohtani is at the plate, 토토사이트 there’s no way he can keep up with Olsen.

That’s why the Angels traded Randall Grichuk and CJ Cron to the Colorado Rockies earlier in the day. In return, they gave up prospects right-hander Jake Maddon and left-hander Mason Albright.

Grichuk, a former teammate of Ryu’s from 2018-2021, is batting .308 with eight home runs and 27 RBIs in 64 games this year, while Krohn is hitting .260 with 11 home runs and 32 RBIs in 56 games. Both players have 30