The Braves won their fourth consecutive National League East title with a 5-3 victory Thursday over the Phillies. It concludes a remarkable run in which the team overcame middling results, an eight-game divisional deficit in June, and numerous injuries and off-field issues to once again sit atop the division.
“It’s the best feeling in the world,” manager Brian Snitker said. “It’s such a long season. I’m just so proud of these guys. Where we came from, the different lineup changes, just hanging in there. To pull this thing off is unbelievable. Everything we went through, the injuries we had to overcome. Everybody has injuries, but we had some huge injuries with our team. Credit to (general manager) Alex (Anthopoulos) and his team for what they did at the deadline. It’s a really gratifying feeling.”
Anthopoulos put it bluntly: “Not to take anything away from those other teams, but this is by far the most special title.”
Here are five takeaways from Thursday:
1. It was appropriate that one of the Braves’ July acquisition sparked the win. Outfielder Jorge Soler, shifted into the lead-off spot during the Braves’ western road trip that concluded earlier this week, led off with a 465-foot home run off Phillies starter Kyle Gibson.
Gibson left a 92-mph cutter over the middle and Soler rocketed it out to the left-field seats. Phillies left fielder Andrew McCutchen barely budged as the ball soared past him. While it was Soler’s first lead-off homer, it was his 13th (and 32nd RBI) over 54 games with the Braves.
2. As fitting as Soler’s homer was, the same could be said for third baseman Austin Riley’s shot in the fourth inning. Riley has surged beyond any reasonable expectations this season to not only make him the Braves’ most valuable player, but arguably the most valuable player in the NL.
Second baseman Ozzie Albies said after the game Riley should be the NL MVP. The third baseman’s case: A .303/.368/.899 slash line with 33 homers and 105 RBIs for the division-winning Braves.
“When I did struggle, I didn’t panic,” Riley said of his season. “I feel like that’s what I did in ‘19 and a little bit of ‘20, just trying to force results. It’s a game of failure. You’re going to go through slumps. Take it for what it is. Just move on and keep working. I think that’s what I’m most proud of myself this year.”
3. Young Ian Anderson, who debuted last August, has now started an NL Championship Series Game 7 and a division-clinching win. The Braves couldn’t have asked for much more from the 23-year-old Thursday.
Anderson allowed two runs on three hits over six innings, striking out two and walking three. He surrendered a two-run homer to McCutchen on his final pitch, seeing the Braves’ lead dwindle from five to three, but that won’t spoil the good from the outing.
The Braves’ top trio looks formidable. Anderson will slot behind co-aces Charlie Morton and Max Fried for the postseason.
4. Albies and shortstop Dansby Swanson have played together for a long time dating back to their minor-league days. The two helped the Braves secure another division title Thursday. Swanson had two hits and doubled home a run. Albies tripled home a run.
After a slow start to September, Swanson is 8-for-19 (.421) in his last six games. Albies has at least one hit in 10 of his last 11 games.
5. The Braves’ four consecutive division crowns is the second-longest streak in MLB behind the Dodgers, who’ve won the NL West eight straight times. The Giants led the Dodgers in the West by two games with four contests remaining entering Thursday.
If San Francisco wins the NL West, it wouldn’t just make the Braves’ division streak MLB’s longest active run, but it’d also ensure the Dodgers, despite their string of dominance, won’t be a threat to the Braves’ record 14 consecutive division titles (1991-2005).
Stat to know
21 (The Braves have 21 division titles, most in MLB history. The Yankees and Dodgers are tied for the second-most division titles with 19.)
Quotable
“Eleven more wins. That’s the expectation.” – first baseman Freddie Freeman
Attendance
38,235 packed Truist Park to see the Braves’ division-clinching win
Up next
After the champagne dries, the Braves will host a three-game series against the Mets this weekend. Huascar Ynoa will start the opener Friday. But the Braves’ focus will be on the Brewers, their opponent in the NL Division Series that begins Oct. 8.
