The Braves were thought to be locked into the No. 2 seed in the National League. They’re now closing in on a potential 1-seed. A 17-2 run will do that for you.
After the Dodgers lost to the Giants again Saturday night, the Braves pulled within 2-1/2 games of the league’s best record. It’s a drastic leap for the Braves, who’ve gained 7-1/2 games on the Dodgers over their 19-game run.
The Dodgers won the season series, 4-2, after sweeping the Braves in May at Dodger Stadium and dropping two of three at SunTrust Park last month. The Braves won the eventful finale on Rafael Ortega’s grand slam off Dustin May.
In fact, the middle game of that series began the Braves’ franchise-record 13 consecutive wins at home. The Braves, winners of 20 of 24, entered Sunday sitting 35 games over .500 with 19 games left.
Of the Braves’ remaining six series, three are against winning teams. The Dodgers face two above .500 opponents in their final six series.
The Braves’ remaining opponents after Sunday: @ Philadelphia, @ Washington, vs. Philadelphia, vs. San Francisco, @ Kansas City, @ New York (NL).
The Dodgers’ remaining opponents after Sunday: @ Baltimore, @ New York (NL), vs. Tampa Bay, vs. Colorado, @ San Diego, @ San Francisco.
