{"id":125407,"date":"2026-07-09T08:00:49","date_gmt":"2026-07-09T12:00:49","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/baseball\/?p=125407"},"modified":"2026-07-08T15:41:56","modified_gmt":"2026-07-08T19:41:56","slug":"braves-pitching-monster-games-suarez-schwarber-ohearn","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/baseball\/2026\/07\/09\/braves-pitching-monster-games-suarez-schwarber-ohearn\/","title":{"rendered":"Three Monster Games Against the Braves That Got Completely Out of Hand"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>Baseball is usually pretty good at spreading humiliation around. One night, a team looks untouchable. The next, some guy who had been quietly minding his own business turns into <a  target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.baseball-reference.com\/players\/b\/bondsba01.shtml?utm_medium=linker&amp;utm_source=lastwordonsports.com&amp;utm_campaign=2026-07-08_br\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Barry Bonds<\/a> for three hours and leaves behind a box score that looks like someone entered a cheat code.<\/p>\n<p>The Atlanta Braves have seen a little too much of that lately. Over the past two seasons, the Braves have found themselves on the wrong end of three truly absurd individual performances. One came in a game they somehow won. One came from a noted Braves enemy doing noted Braves enemy things. The most recent came Tuesday night in Pittsburgh, when <a  href=\"https:\/\/www.baseball-reference.com\/players\/o\/ohearry01.shtml\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Ryan O\u2019Hearn<\/a> turned a midweek July game into a new page in the <a  href=\"https:\/\/sports.yahoo.com\/articles\/ryan-o-hearn-makes-mlb-164520541.html\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Pirates&#8217; history book<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>For a team already familiar with All-Star snubs, the <a href=\"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/baseball\/2026\/06\/16\/braves-injuries-test-atlanta-comfortable-lead\/\" target=\"_self\">injury bug<\/a>, <a href=\"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/baseball\/2026\/06\/30\/braves-west-coast-trip-june-2026\/\" target=\"_self\">uncomfortable road trips<\/a> and <a href=\"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/baseball\/2026\/06\/09\/bryce-elder-braves\/\" target=\"_self\">pitchers going from dud to stud<\/a> then back into a pumpkin, these games are their own strange category of pain.<\/p>\n<h2>Three Monster Games vs. Braves<\/h2>\n<h3>Su\u00e1rez Somehow Wasn\u2019t Enough for the Diamondbacks<\/h3>\n<p>The wildest part about <a  target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.baseball-reference.com\/players\/s\/suareeu01.shtml?utm_medium=linker&amp;utm_source=lastwordonsports.com&amp;utm_campaign=2026-07-08_br\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Eugenio Su\u00e1rez<\/a>\u2019s monster game for the D-backs against Atlanta is not that he hit four home runs. That is ridiculous, obviously, but the truly deranged part is that Arizona still managed to lose.<\/p>\n<p class=\"\" style=\"max-width: 1280px\"><smartframe-embed class=\"smartframe_wp_element\" customer-id=\"b0c95bc04383cef69c6b47df872135cf\" image-id=\"WmOBK2p1YVK8\" style=\"width: 100%; display: inline-flex; max-width: 2570px; aspect-ratio: 2570\/3600;\" ><\/smartframe-embed><\/p>\n<p>On April 26, 2025, Su\u00e1rez went 4-for-4 with four homers, four runs scored and five RBIs against the Braves at Chase Field. He homered in the second, fourth, sixth and ninth innings, the last of which tied the game at 7-7 and should have felt like the final ridiculous blow in a night full of them.<\/p>\n<p><iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"4 HOME RUNS ... 1 GAME! \ud83e\udd2f EUGENIO SU\u00c1REZ ENTERS THE HISTORY BOOKS! \ud83d\ude24\" width=\"640\" height=\"360\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/cZL5j1pqdU0?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe><\/p>\n<p>Instead, Atlanta won 8-7 in 10 innings.<\/p>\n<p>That is the kind of game that makes no sense in real time and even less sense later. A player joins one of baseball\u2019s most exclusive clubs, spends the entire night personally dragging his team across home plate, and still has to watch the other dugout celebrate.<\/p>\n<p>For the Braves, it was less a clean escape than a very loud warning label. They had won the game, yes. They had also allowed one man to hit four home runs, which is generally not a recommended path to victory.<\/p>\n<h3>Schwarber Remains a Braves Problem<\/h3>\n<p>Then there is <a  target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.baseball-reference.com\/players\/s\/schwaky01.shtml?utm_medium=linker&amp;utm_source=lastwordonsports.com&amp;utm_campaign=2026-07-08_br\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Kyle Schwarber<\/a>, who has made a career out of being deeply unpleasant to Atlanta pitching.<\/p>\n<p>On Aug. 28, 2025, Schwarber turned Citizens Bank Park into a batting cage replete with ravenous Philly fans. He went 4-for-5 with four home runs and nine RBIs as the Phillies hammered the Braves 19-4. Unlike the Su\u00e1rez game, there was no funny little escape hatch here. No late rally. No \u201cwell, at least they won.\u201d Just an old-fashioned divisional beating with Schwarber standing in the middle of the wreckage like a conquering king.<\/p>\n<p><iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"Kyle Schwarber Hits FOUR Home Runs in One Game vs. Braves\" width=\"640\" height=\"360\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/3LeQbT-fWUc?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe><\/p>\n<p>This was the nightmare version of a familiar problem. Braves fans already know Schwarber is dangerous. He has the exact profile that feels custom-built to make any mistake look stupid: patience, immense power, and the ability to end a game before the pitching coach has even finished his walk to the mound.<\/p>\n<figure id=\"attachment_110184\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-110184\" style=\"width: 610px\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/baseball\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/7\/2025\/12\/USATSI_27278433-300x200.jpg\" alt=\"Kyler Schwarber has had some monster moments against the Atlanta Braves.\" width=\"610\" height=\"407\" class=\"wp-image-110184\" srcset=\"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/baseball\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/7\/2025\/12\/USATSI_27278433-300x200.jpg 300w, https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/baseball\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/7\/2025\/12\/USATSI_27278433-1024x683.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/baseball\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/7\/2025\/12\/USATSI_27278433-768x512.jpg 768w, https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/baseball\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/7\/2025\/12\/USATSI_27278433-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/baseball\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/7\/2025\/12\/USATSI_27278433-2048x1365.jpg 2048w, https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/baseball\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/7\/2025\/12\/USATSI_27278433-600x400.jpg 600w, https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/baseball\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/7\/2025\/12\/USATSI_27278433-1200x800.jpg 1200w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 610px) 100vw, 610px\" \/><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-110184\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Oct 8, 2025; Los Angeles, California, USA; Philadelphia Phillies designated hitter Kyle Schwarber (12) celebrates after hitting a two run home run during the eighth inning against the Los Angeles Dodgers during game three of the NLDS round for the 2025 MLB playoffs at Dodger Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jayne Kamin-Oncea-Imagn Images<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>Plenty of players have good games. Schwarber frequently has the kind against Atlanta that feel personal, even when they probably aren\u2019t. <em>Probably<\/em>.<\/p>\n<h3>O\u2019Hearn Joins the List<\/h3>\n<p>Ryan O\u2019Hearn added the latest chapter Tuesday night, and he did not bother easing into it.<\/p>\n<p>Against the Braves in Pittsburgh, O\u2019Hearn went 4-for-5 with three home runs, three runs scored and 10 RBIs in a 12-4 Pirates rout. He clobbered a grand slam in the first inning, added another no-doubter three-run shot in the third, and then launched his third and final homer in the sixth. By the time he was done, he had set a Pirates franchise record for RBIs in a single game.<\/p>\n<p><iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"FRANCHISE RECORD! \ud83c\udff4\u200d\u2620\ufe0f Ryan O&#039;Hearn has a THREE-HOMER, 10-RBI GAME for the Pittsburgh Pirates! \ud83e\udd2f\" width=\"640\" height=\"360\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/JJoHOxZPtMY?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe><\/p>\n<p>That\u2019s not just a bad night for Atlanta; it\u2019s a night where the other team starts collecting trinkets from the diamond to commemorate the occasion and that night\u2019s star player gets his helmet sent to Cooperstown. <a  href=\"https:\/\/www.mlb.com\/news\/ryan-o-hearn-sets-career-high-for-rbis-in-a-game\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">No, really.<\/a><\/p>\n<p>It was also the kind of game that lands awkwardly because the Braves have spent much of the season looking like one of the National League\u2019s most complete teams. They have survived plenty of adversity so far in the 2026 season, but none of that matters when one hitter turns a game into his own private fireworks show.<\/p>\n<h3>Braves Pitching Has to Avoid the Next Nightmare Inning<\/h3>\n<p>The Braves are good enough to survive plenty over a long season, but these individual explosions are reminders of how quickly one matchup can become a mess. Su\u00e1rez somehow hit four home runs in a loss, Schwarber did what Schwarber so often does to Atlanta, and O\u2019Hearn just authored one of the biggest games in Pirates history against Braves pitching.<\/p>\n<p>None of those games define Atlanta\u2019s season by themselves. Together, though, they are a pretty blunt warning. Against power bats, hot hitters and division enemies with long memories, the Braves continue to enter the record books- and not in the way they\u2019d like to.<\/p>\n<p><em>Main Photo: Charles LeClaire- Imagn Images<\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Baseball is usually pretty good at spreading humiliation around. One night, a team looks untouchable. The next, some guy who had been quietly minding his own business turns into Barry Bonds for three hours and leaves behind a box score that looks like someone entered a cheat code. The Atlanta Braves have seen a little [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":5850,"featured_media":125419,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_lmt_disableupdate":"no","_lmt_disable":"","sfio_featured_image":false,"sfio_embed_code":"","_ef_editorial_meta_date_first-draft-date":"","_ef_editorial_meta_paragraph_assignment":"","_ef_editorial_meta_checkbox_needs-photo":"","_ef_editorial_meta_number_word-count":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[21,1071,35],"tags":[761,516,28329],"class_list":["post-125407","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-braves","category-mlb","category-news","tag-eugenio-suarez","tag-kyle-schwarber","tag-ryan-ohearn"],"modified_by":"Andrew Willis","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/baseball\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/125407","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/baseball\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/baseball\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/baseball\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/5850"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/baseball\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=125407"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/baseball\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/125407\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":125420,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/baseball\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/125407\/revisions\/125420"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/baseball\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/125419"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/baseball\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=125407"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/baseball\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=125407"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/baseball\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=125407"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}