When last we checked in on the Braves’ and magic numbers late last week, there were three to watch. There was one for a first-round bye (1), one for the best record in the National League (10) and one for the best record in Major League Baseball (11).
One down, two to go.
Let’s check in on where things stand as of Friday’s games.
The Braves quickly clinched a first-round bye, doing so on Monday when the Brewers lost.
The magic numbers to clinch both the best record in the NL and MLB have both been reduced to 7.
The Braves (98-55) have a 3-1/2 lead over the Dodgers (94-58) for the best record in the NL and home-field advantage through the league playoffs. The Dodgers have a magic number of 2 to clinch the other first-round bye. The Braves own the head-to-head tiebreaker over the Dodgers, having won four of the seven games this season.
The Braves have a 3-game lead over the Orioles (95-58) for the best record in baseball and home-field advantage in the World Series. The Orioles are locked in a battle with the Rays (94-60) for the American League East title. The winner of that battle will be the No. 1 seed in the AL playoffs. The Orioles own the head-to-head tiebreaker over the Rays. The Braves own the head-to-head tiebreaker over the Orioles, winning two of the three games this season.
