Braves let Orioles tie it, then Atlanta escapes a bases-loaded jam in 10th before winning 3-2 in 11

BALTIMORE (AP) — Matt Olson caught Gunnar Henderson's line drive and stepped on first for an improbable double play in the bottom of the 10th, and Austin Riley's RBI double an inning later lifted the Atlanta Braves to a 3-2 victory over the Baltimore Orioles on Sunday.

Every game in this series was decided by a run, with the Braves winning Friday and Sunday in extra innings and the Orioles managing a walk-off victory Saturday. The finale went to extra innings thanks largely to an error by Atlanta second baseman Ozzie Albies, but Baltimore loaded the bases in the 10th with the score 2-all and couldn't win it.

Henderson has had a nightmare of a 2026 season, playing poorly while also having bad luck at times. He hammered a line drive right at first base, where Olson could catch it and step on the bag almost in one motion as runner Pete Alonso frantically tried to dive back.

Replays showed the play was extremely close, but the double play stood. Then Taylor Ward — who left the winning run at third in the ninth inning in Friday’s loss — popped out.

After Riley put Atlanta ahead with his double off Andrew Kittredge (1-3), the Braves wasted their own bases-loaded situation when Albies hit a one-out popup and Olson hit a flyout. But Tyler Kinley (6-4) held on in the bottom of the 11th.

With men on first and second and two outs, the Braves intentionally walked Jackson Holliday, which loaded the bases and put the winning run in scoring position — but also forced catcher Sam Huff to bat. Baltimore's two power-hitting catchers — Adley Rutschman and Samuel Basallo — are both on the injured list, and Huff and Chadwick Tromp have provided virtually nothing offensively in their absence.

Tromp had already come out of the game, and the Orioles were out of bench players. So Huff grounded out to third, lowering his average to .121 on the season.

Atlanta led 2-0 in the eighth before Alonso's solo homer. Then Raisel Iglesias blew just his second save in 23 chances this season. Albies let a one-out grounder through his legs, leaving men on first and third with one out in the ninth. Then Holliday hit a sharp grounder, but Albies made a terrific diving stop. The tying run scored, but Albies threw to first for the second out, and the Braves were able to get the game to extra innings.

Atlanta heads to New York to face the Mets. Martín Perez (6-6) starts for the Braves on Monday night against Zac Thornton (1-1).

The Orioles are at Detroit. Kyle Bradish (7-9) takes the mound Monday night against Keider Montero (7-5) of the Tigers.

AP MLB: https://apnews.com/hub/MLB

Baltimore Orioles' Pete Alonso advances to third during the first inning of a baseball game against the Atlanta Braves, Sunday, July 26, 2026, in Baltimore. (AP Photo/Daniel Kucin Jr.)

Atlanta Braves' Michael Harris II hits A single during the second inning of a baseball game against the Baltimore Orioles, Sunday, July 26, 2026, in Baltimore. (AP Photo/Daniel Kucin Jr.)

Atlanta Braves' Drake Baldwin hits a single during the third inning of a baseball game against the Baltimore Orioles, Sunday, July 26, 2026, in Baltimore. (AP Photo/Daniel Kucin Jr.)

Atlanta Braves pitcher Reynaldo Lopez throws during the first inning of a baseball game against the Baltimore Orioles, Sunday, July 26, 2026, in Baltimore. (AP Photo/Daniel Kucin Jr.)

At least 40 million people were under extreme heat warnings across central and southern parts of the United States on Sunday as high temperatures and severe humidity gripped large swaths of the country for a second straight day.

Heat indexes well above 100 degrees Fahrenheit (38 Celsius) stretched from Minnesota down to Mississippi, extending west into southern California and Nevada. Parts of the Southwest were expected to see highs of 120 degrees Fahrenheit (49 C), according to the National Weather Service.

Meteorologists said the sweltering weather was the result of another heat dome — a phenomenon in which atmospheric conditions trap heat, accentuating and prolonging already high temperatures.

“It’s extraordinarily hot,” said Pete Miller, an outreach manager for the homeless services network Threshold CoC, which was passing out water bottles to residents in Omaha, Nebraska, on Sunday.

“We’re seeing a lot of people who are exhausted, drained by the heat in a way that is really dangerous,” Miller added. “The humidity is insane. You stand outside for 30 seconds and you get drenched. And it’s going to be like that all night.”

On Saturday, Rapid City, South Dakota, reported an all-time high of 112 degrees Fahrenheit (44 C). A horse race planned in Canterbury Park, in Shakopee, Minnesota, was canceled Sunday because of the heat.

“Right now, it’s affecting a lot of people right in the middle of the country,” said Bob Oravec, an NWS meteorologist. “The core of the heat sinks southward by early next week.”

The moist air was also producing other volatility around the top of the heat dome, including the risk of severe thunderstorms, flash flooding and hail around the Great Lakes on Sunday. The potential for heavy storms was expected to move east in the coming days.

“If you have a heat dome in one part of the country, you’ll have a different corresponding weather in another part,” Oravec said. “It’s all related.”

Temporary relief will come to the central U.S. toward the middle of the week, but high temperatures could return by the weekend, he noted.

Authorities warned that children and older adults, along with people with certain medical conditions, are especially at risk of serious reactions including heat stroke. Experts recommend seeking out air conditioning or a cooling center, make sure to drink enough water and limit time under the direct sun.

The continental U.S. endured the second-hottest first half of the year on record in 2026, according tracking of average temperatures by the National Centers for Environmental Information.

The sun beams down on a lifeguard while she watches over a beach at Lake Harriet during an extreme heat warning, Monday, July 13, 2026, in Minneapolis. (AP Photo/Ellen Schmidt)