The Braves are on the verge of winning their first National League East title since 2013.
Here are a few reasons why:
One run games: The Braves are 22-12 in one-run contests. That's the best record in the NL, and third best overall. They went 19-24 in close contests last season.
Beat the East: The Braves are 45-23 in NL East games with a plus-114 run differential, best results in the NL. They're just 41-45 against the other divisions. They took care of business against the Mets and Marlins, which ended up making the difference. That they went 7-5 against the Phillies in the first couple months took some of the pressure off in the final weeks.
Winning late: The Braves have 263 runs after the six inning, second most in the NL (Chicago, 266) and fourth most in MLB. They lead baseball with 20 wins in their final at-bat, a signature stat since Brian Snitker took over as manager.
The long ball: Many – the organization's brain trust included – were concerned about the team's apparent lack of power entering the year. Those worries never came to pass. The Braves are 69-35 when hitting a home run, and 36-11 when hitting two or more. They're 17-33 when they don't go deep.
Finding the right pace: Hall of Famer Bobby Cox preached the take-two-of-three mindset. The Braves have done that exceptionally well, and managed to be swept just four times in 2018. They've swept nine series.
But the Braves’ month-by-month mark tells the tale. After taking two of three from the Phillies in March, they earned a 14-10 April, 17-12 May and 14-11 June. They finally hit a bump in July, 10-13, before rebounding with a 17-13 August. They’re 12-8 in September, closing out the East.
Those months aren’t going to set records. The team doesn’t have an eye-popping winning streak. But they’ve maintained a solid level of play that’s difficult to do in a 162-game season. Even last year, remember they were 45-45 through 90 games.
These Braves’ consistency will award them a spot in the postseason.
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