The Atlanta Braves secured their fourth consecutive National League East crown on Thursday, defeating the Philadelphia Phillies 5-3.
The Atlanta Braves have done it all before — many, many times before — but this one felt a bit different. More satisfying, for sure.
The Braves may have been the reigning champions, but their continued dominance was hardly assured. Atlanta finished the first half with a losing record, at 44-45, and entered August trailing in the division by five games. Nevertheless, the Braves were able to rally by winning games in the second half at a 98-win pace overall.
And there they were Thursday night, swigging champagne, puffing on cigars and celebrating an NL East championship.
"We were just trying to hang in there and pull this thing off," manager Brian Snitker said. "It's unbelievable what these guys accomplished with everything we went through."
The Braves didn't climb above .500 until Aug. 6, yet they went on to capture their 21st division title — more than any other team — and fourth straight division title, since moving from Milwaukee to Atlanta in 1966.
They'll face their former city in the playoffs when they open the best-of-five Division Series at the NL Central champion Brewers on Oct. 8.
"It's a great feeling," first baseman Freddie Freeman said. "We had a lot of ups and down, so many things that could have derailed us."
Atlanta was able to go on that run without all-star outfielder Ronald Acuña Jr., whose season ended on July 10, or ace Mike Soroka, who has not pitched this season. Instead, the Braves were led by third baseman Austin Riley, first baseman Freddie Freeman, and starters Max Fried and Charlie Morton.
The Braves spent 126 days of this 2021 season without a winning record — the most by a division champ since the 1989 Toronto Blue Jays and fourth-most since the divisional era began in 1969, according to Elias Sports.
Last year, the Braves took the Dodgers to a seventh game in the National League Championship Series. Prior to that, the Braves had not advanced beyond the division round since 2001. The Braves, so dominant throughout the '90s, haven't returned to the World Series since 1999.
It's unclear if the Braves have the goods to go beyond that this year, but they can go to bed tonight knowing this much: next week they'll begin a best-of-five series against the Milwaukee Brewers for the right to play for the NL pennant. Considering how their season was looking at the All-Star Game, they have to consider this a good outcome. - Paul Newberry (ESPN)
