MLB: Braves win their sixth-straight game and are NL East champs for the 4th year in a row!
Atlanta, Georgia - The Atlanta Braves are now once again champions of the National League East Division after Thursday night's win over the Philadelphia Phillies!
The Braves beat the Phillies 5-3 to sweep three games against Philadelphia, clinch the NL East title and secure their spot in next week’s MLB postseason.
This is their fourth consecutive division crown and the 15th overall for the franchise. It's also one of the most impressive ones, given that the team was nowhere close to the division lead back during the All-Star break in July.
Right fielder Jorge Soler (29) got things started by getting the braves on the board first with a solo home run to lead off the entire game.
Braves starter Ian Anderson (9-5) was locked into a pitching battle for a few innings with Philly’s Kyle Gibson (10-9).
Anderson lasted longer through six shutout innings for the win, while Gibson got shelled for four earned runs despite striking out eight batters.
Atlanta tacked on two more runs thanks to Austin Riley’s solo shot in the bottom of the fourth, followed by Travis d’Arnaud scoring off of Dansby Swanson's double to right field.
The Phillies were still scoreless in the next inning, as the reigning NL MVP Freddie Freeman scored a run thanks to an Ozzie Albies triple. He was then brought home by Riley’s second hit of the game.
Riley finished the game 2-for-4 with 2 RBI, while Swanson went 2-for-2.
The 5-0 shutout was finally broken up by the Phillies when the 2013 NL MVP Andrew McCutchen blasted a two-run shot that sparked a small rally for Philly.
In the top of the eighth, they got one more homer from J.T. Realmuto to inch another run closer to the Braves, but they just ran out of time.
The game was closed out quick with three outs off of eighth pitches from Braves relief pitcher Will Smith.
The regular season’s not over yet as the Braves have a three-game set against the Mets, starting on Friday night from Atlanta, while the Phillies have three games on the road against the Marlins.
Cover photo: IMAGO/ZUMA Wire