​PITTSBURGH (AP) — Mike Yastrzemski delivered a game-ending grand slam in the ninth inning to seal a 10-5 victory for the Atlanta Braves over the Pittsburgh Pirates on Thursday, capping a comeback after trailing 6-5. Earlier, Matt Olson opened the scoring with a solo homer in the first inning, his 25th of the season, and in the process tied the all-time Braves mark for consecutive games played.
Olson extended his ironman streak by appearing in his 740th straight game, spanning from the start of the 2022 campaign. The milestone ties the franchise record set by Dale Murphy, who played in 1982 through 1986. Atlanta also received a notable firsts in this game when Jim Jarvis, a rookie, belted his maiden major league home run—a two-run shot off Cam Sanders in the fourth inning that helped push the lead to 6-2. Jarvis, who plays shortstop, collected three hits on the day.
Pittsburgh’s offense responded with a pair of long balls in the third inning, as Bryan Reynolds and Esmerlyn Valdez homered back-to-back to trim the deficit to 6-3. Jake Mangum powered the Pirates’ offense with four hits and three RBIs, including a two-run homer in the fourth that brought Pittsburgh within two at 6-4. He added an RBI double in the sixth, pulling the Pirates to within one run.
On the mound for Atlanta, Bryce Elder struggled, allowing four earned runs over four innings. For Pittsburgh, Mitch Keller (6-7) gave up three runs in three innings, dropping to 1-5 with a 7.94 ERA in nine career starts against the Braves.
Dylan Dodd (2-0) earned the win by pitching a spotless fifth inning. The game featured a 35-minute rain delay at the end of the fifth inning, interrupting play but not altering the eventual outcome.
Looking ahead, the Braves will begin a three-game series in St. Louis on Friday night, with left-hander Chris Sale taking the mound for Atlanta (9-6, 2.27 ERA) against Cardinals right-hander Kyle Leahy (7-4, 3.86). For the Pirates, right-hander Braxton Ashcraft (9-3, 3.24) is scheduled to start against visiting Milwaukee, with rookie right-hander Brandon Sproat (3-4, 5.13) slated to pitch in the series opener on Friday against the Brewers.
This recap reflects typical AP game coverage for MLB contests, highlighting key moments: Yastrzemski’s ninth-inning slam, Olson’s historic consecutive-games streak and 25th homer, Jarvis’s first big-league homer, and the late-inning shifts that shaped the final 10-5 Braves win. AP MLB coverage continues to provide in-game context, player milestones, and forthcoming matchups across the league.