The Atlanta Braves are officially heading to the postseason, man. They just locked up a playoff berth for the eighth time in nine years, taking down the Houston Astros 6-2 on Friday night. But get this, there was no wild celebration, no popping champagne corks all over the clubhouse. Just a quiet toast. These guys are seriously not messing around.
Back in the Postseason After a Stumble
Can you believe they missed out last year? After being absolute beasts for so long, winning six straight NL East titles from 2018-23 and even snagging the 2021 World Series against those same Astros, 2025 was a brutal 76-86 season, finishing fourth in the division. That snapped a seven-year playoff streak, so this return is massive. But even with that history, Michael Harris II was straight up: “We’ve got our eyes on bigger and better things. We’re trying to win the East. So got to go out there and do what we know we can do and hopefully we can celebrate big for that.” First-year manager Walt Weiss, who spent eight seasons as Brian Snitker’s bench coach, totally echoed that vibe. He knows it’s all earned, saying, “Everything you get in this league is earned. … hopefully some bigger celebrations ahead.”
Chasing the East Crown and What It Means
This team isn’t just happy to be here. They’re still battling the Philadelphia Phillies for the NL East title, and they’ve got their magic number down to three. Think about it: they could wrap up the division crown as early as Sunday! That Friday night win, coupled with Philly dropping their game 6-3 to the Mets, pushed the Braves to a five-game lead over the Phillies with only eight games left to play. That’s a huge cushion. You gotta respect that focus after dropping two of three to the Chicago Cubs earlier in the week. Harris, Ronald Acuna Jr., and Matt Olson all blasted two-run homers against the Astros, showing they’re ready to make a statement. Weiss giving props to the team for making it happen in his first year, saying, “It’s always about the players. They’re the ones out there performing. … It takes everybody and we’ve got a really good group.” This isn’t just about making the playoffs; if they grab that division, it’ll be their seventh NL East championship in nine years. That’s dynasty-level stuff, man.
So, with Sunday looming as a potential division-clinching day, the Braves aren’t just looking for another win; they’re looking to cap off a truly dominant comeback season. Hitting 90 wins with Friday’s victory means this is the fifth time in the last eight full seasons they’ve hit that mark. Only the Dodgers, Brewers, and Yankees have done it more in that stretch. They’ve earned this playoff spot, but clearly, the real party starts when that division banner gets hung. Can they do it this weekend? My money’s on them to make those “bigger celebrations” happen.
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by Fox Sports.
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