Braves’ strong finish to season continues

The Braves continued their winning ways on Sunday, taking care of the Detroit Tigers, 6-2, extending their season-high win streak to eight straight games.
The Braves got a home run and two RBI from Ha-Seong Kim, as well as five scoreless innings from Spencer Strider, in improving to 11-8 this month.
Although it’s of little consolation for a team that had playoff aspirations before the season began, the Braves are 27-21 since the beginning of August.
As for the Tigers, they went 0-6 on their last homestand of the season, losing by a combined score of 36-14. They have lost nine of their last 10 as their lead in the American League Central has dropped to one game over the Cleveland Guardians.
Strider (7-13) allowed six hits and three walks while striking out six. Six Atlanta relievers finished the game.
Casey Mize (14-6) gave up three runs on five hits and three walks in 5 2/3 innings.
The Braves scored a run in three straight innings — the third through fifth — and the Tigers couldn’t get the key hit they needed.
Tanner Rainey made his Tigers debut to start Atlanta’s three-run ninth inning. He allowed two walks and an RBI double without getting an out. Paul Sewald relieved him with the score at 4-0 and allowed a sacrifice fly and an RBI double.
The game was delayed 27 minutes by rain during the seventh-inning stretch.
Key moment
The Braves threatened in the seventh, but left the bases loaded. During the inning, second base umpire Alfonso Marquez ruled Drake Baldwin was out on a 3-6 force play at second, but replays showed Zach McKinstry came off the bag before catching Torkelson’s throw. The Braves had already used their challenge.
Key stat
The Tigers finished the season with 2,413,442 fans, a jump of more than 500,000 from 2024 and the highest total since drawing 2,493,859 fans in 2016.
Up next
The Braves return home for a three-game series against the Washington Nationals. LHP Chris Sale (5-5, 2.35 ERA) is scheduled to start on Monday against LHP MacKenzie Gore (5-14, 4.00).
Detroit opens a three-game series against the Cleveland Guardians on Monday to decide first place in the AL Central. Tigers ace LHP Tarik Skubal (13-5, 2.23) will face RHP Gavin Williams (11-5, 3.06).
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Material from The Associated Press was used in this article.