The magic number doesn't matter any more. Now it's a magical season.
The Braves clinched the National League East Division title for the second straight season Friday night with a 6-0 win over the San Francisco Giants at SunTrust Park.
Mike Foltynewicz started for the Braves and pitched eight shutout innings, allowing just three hits. Josh Tomlin pitched the ninth. Ronald Acuna Jr. and Brian McCann hit home runs.
The Braves (95-60) needed just 155 games of the 162-game season to put away the Washington Nationals, Philadelphia Phillies, New York Mets and Miami Marlins in the East.
Assuming the Los Angeles Dodgers maintain the league’s best overall record, the Braves would open the playoffs by hosting the NL Central champ (the Cardinals, Brewers or Cubs) in Division Series Games 1 and 2 on Oct. 3-4.
The Braves put playoff tickets on sale to the general public Friday morning, and by afternoon they had little more than standing-room-only tickets still available for their first two National League Division Series home games.