Braves Fall Again as Giants Walk It off in the Ninth
Matt Chapman's clutch two-run homer in the bottom of the ninth inning gave the San Francisco Giants a 3–2 victory over the Atlanta Braves in walk-off fashion, extending their winning streak to four games. After Chapman's home run off Pierce Johnson, Braves starter Bryce Elder lost despite his good performance, which included eight innings pitched and 12 strikeouts. Wilmer Flores' single homer in the fourth gave San Francisco the lead, but Michael Harris II's solo homer in the fifth tied the score. Chapman's late delivery gave the Giants a thrilling victory and further cemented the Braves' current losing streak, making it a storybook ending.
Both teams went scoreless through the top and bottom of the first and second frames of today's game, with their starting pitchers, Logan Webb for San Francisco and Elder for Atlanta, holding firm. They traded a few baserunners but didn't threaten to alter the scoreboard, setting the stage for the fireworks that followed. Both pitchers maintained their dominance in the third inning, striking out several batters and preventing either club from scoring a run. The score came alive in the fourth inning when Flores hit a leadoff solo home run against Elder to give San Francisco the first run and a 1-0 lead. When Sean Murphy hit a sacrifice fly with the bases loaded later in that same session, Atlanta retaliated, and Matt Olson rushed home to level the score at one. Confusion over the catch caused by a fan throwing a ball onto the field momentarily stopped that play, but the run eventually counted and tied things up.
Elder held his ground and kept the Giants off the board in the first inning, but Atlanta scored first in the fifth. Harris II tied the score at one with a solo home run off Webb with one out. In the sixth, Atlanta took the lead. Austin Riley reached on a single after two fast outs, and then Elder walked Olson, bringing the majority of the Braves lineup to the plate. The Braves took a 2-1 lead when Ronald Acuña Jr. scored from third base after Marcell Ozuna blasted a grounder that led to a fielder's choice. Chapman left when Webb and Johnson resolved their issues.
Both bullpens held steady in the seventh and eighth innings. After six solid frames, Giants reliever Webb left the game, and his reliever duo, which included Tyler Rogers, pitched consecutive shutout innings to hold Atlanta off the scoreboard in the top of the seventh and eighth innings. Despite giving up a one-out single to Heliot Ramos in the ninth inning, Braves reliever Johnson kept the lead at two runs through the seventh and eighth innings. After pitching the eighth inning, Johnson was under pressure once more in the ninth. Ramos singled with one out to start the tying run, and shortly after, Chapman of the Giants hit a spectacular two-run walk-off homer on a 1-1 curve to give San Francisco a 3‑2 victory and end Atlanta's waning hopes in a single swing.
Today's game included three players who truly stood out. The night's highlight was Chapman of the Giants, who hit his first walk-off home run as a Giant, a two-run rocket with two outs in the bottom of the ninth. In addition to securing the victory, the clutch swing increased San Francisco's league-high walk-off wins to eight so far this season. The Braves' Elder was an ace-like force for Atlanta, giving up just one run in eight innings while striking out a career-high 12 batters. His performance held Atlanta in the game well into the contest, matching the domination of San Francisco's ace. On the mound, Giants pitcher Webb also made an impression, striking out 10 batters in six scoreless innings while giving up only two runs and zero walks. His solid arm prepared the way for Chapman's valiant actions.
The Braves and Giants will face each other again tomorrow. The game will take place on the road at Oracle Park, first pitch at 4:50 p.m. ET. The Giants are anticipated to start Landen Roupp, while Atlanta will send Spencer Strider to the mound. It's a great early-week afternoon clash between two young, skilled starters.
