The Atlanta Braves defeated the Los Angeles Angels 8-3 on July 3, 2025, as Matt Olson's grand slam and a Jurickson Profar homer fueled a 7-run inning.
StatPro MLB Beat Reporter
One inning can change a game, and one player can change a lineup. The Atlanta Braves proved both on Wednesday night, erupting for a seven-run sixth inning to dismantle the Los Angeles Angels 8-3. The fireworks were fueled by a Matt Olson grand slam, but the spark that lit the fuse was the controversial and immediate return of Jurickson Profar, who homered in his first game back from an 80-game suspension.
Two homers. Six baserunners. Zero outs. The devastating line for Angels reliever Ryan Zeferjahn in the Braves' game-changing sixth inning.
For five innings, it was a tense affair. Then the floodgates opened. The Braves turned a tight game on its head in the bottom of the sixth, started by a three-run homer from Sean Murphy. But the knockout blow came from Matt Olson, who launched a 358-foot grand slam to cap a seven-run frame that left the Angels reeling. Angels reliever Ryan Zeferjahn was shelled, surrendering both homers and allowing six baserunners without recording a single out. Aaron Bummer was brilliant in relief, earning the win with 2 2/3 perfect innings to stabilize the game.
The biggest storyline of the night was the activation of Jurickson Profar. Wasting no time after his 80-game PED suspension, Profar went 2-for-4 and blasted a home run, providing an instant jolt of energy. His return, however, signaled the end of Alex Verdugo's tenure in Atlanta. The Braves designated the veteran outfielder for assignment to make room, a move that reflected Verdugo's inconsistent offense and below-average OPS. The front office is clearly betting on Profar's versatility and switch-hitting ability to be a difference-maker down the stretch.
While the offense celebrated, the training room delivered grim news. The Braves placed RHP Spencer Schwellenbach on the 15-day IL with a fractured right elbow, a significant blow to a rotation that was already showing signs of strain. The concerns don't end there. Bryce Elder, who is scheduled to start the series finale, continues to struggle with a 5.82 ERA. To shore up the bullpen, the team activated Daysbel Hernández and recalled LHP Austin Cox from Gwinnett, but the starting five remains the team's biggest question mark.
The win against the Angels was a thrilling display of the Braves' offensive potential, supercharged by Profar's dramatic return. But as the dust settles, the focus shifts. All eyes will be on Bryce Elder's start against José Soriano in the series finale, a crucial test for the struggling righty. More importantly, with Schwellenbach's injury and Elder's inconsistency, the pressure is now squarely on the front office to make a move to stabilize the rotation before the trade deadline. The bats are awake, but will the arms be there to support them?
