The Atlanta Braves punched their ticket to the National League playoffs last night, taking down the Houston Astros 6-2. Tyler Mahle dealt on the mound, and the bats mashed three two-run bombs to lock it all up. With the Phillies losing, the magic number for the division sits at three. This team is rolling into late September with serious momentum.
Mahle’s Moundside Masterclass and Early Blasts
Tyler Mahle was excellent once again out there in Houston. His ERA since joining the Braves is a spectacular 1.28 across eight starts. The guy is a force. Things started a little quiet offensively, but the Braves woke up fast in the fourth inning against Astros starter Peter Lambert. Matt Olson singled to get things going, and then Michael Harris stepped up and ambushed a first-pitch slurve, taking it the opposite way for a quick 2-0 lead. The Astros tried to claw back in the bottom of the fourth, getting some fortuitous BABIP bounces against Mahle. Yordan Alvarez hit a doink double down the left field line, Jose Altuve followed with an infield single, and Isaac Paredes singled in Alvarez. Things could’ve gone sideways fast, but Mahle worked around the mess, allowing just one run. He then retired the final nine batters he faced. Clutch.
Acuña Jr. Goes Full Superman, Olson Adds Insurance
The score held at 2-1 into the seventh, which felt too close. But Ronald Acuña Jr. wasn’t having any of that. He launched a 111mph rocket ship into the Crawford Boxes for a two-run homer, extending the lead to 4-1. Ronald just pulverizes baseballs. Didier Fuentes came in after Mahle and was excellent in the seventh, keeping the Astros at bay. Then the eighth inning arrived, and things got hairy. A run came in to score, making it 4-2, and suddenly, the tying run was on base. But Acuña Jr. wasn’t done being a hero. He made a spectacular diving catch to rob Altuve of a bloop single that would’ve plated another run. Unbelievable. He’s a game-changer with both the bat and the glove. Then, in the top of the ninth, Matt Olson provided some much-needed insurance with his 40th homer of the season, an opposite field blast also to the Crawford Boxes. Forty homers! That’s huge.
This series in Houston continues on Saturday night. Grant Holmes is set to take the mound against Hayden Wesneski, with first pitch an hour earlier at 7:10 p.m. ET. With that magic number down to three for the division, the Braves clearly aren’t satisfied with just a playoff bid. They want that division crown, and they’re ready to fight for it.
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by Yahoo Sports.
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