The Atlanta Braves of Major League Baseball (MLB) have clinched first place in their division for the first time this season and will begin preparing for the postseason.
Atlanta clinched first place in the National League East with a 4-1 victory over the Philadelphia Phillies at Citizens Bank Park in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, on Thursday (April 14), clinching a share of first place regardless of the remainder of the schedule.
With the win, Atlanta, which is 96-50 with 16 games remaining in the regular season, extended its lead over second-place Philadelphia (79-67) to 17 games.
After missing the postseason for four straight years from 2014 to 2017 and undergoing a “rebuilding” period, Atlanta has been a dominant force, winning six straight district titles from 2018 to this year.
After winning their fourth World Series title in 2021, Atlanta will look to repeat as champions this year for the second time in two years.
Slugger Matt Olson is the team’s go-to guy with 51 home runs and 128 RBIs, while Ronald Acuña Jr. is batting .335 with 37 home runs and 66 RBIs, looking for his first-ever 40-homer, 70-RBI season.토토사이트
“With two MVP candidates, Atlanta has a dominant season despite injuries to its pitching staff,” MLB.com wrote.
Atlanta, which currently leads the National League in overall winning percentage (.658), will advance to the National League Division Series (NLDS) on May 8 against the winner of the fourth- and fifth-place wild cards if it finishes the regular season in first place.
With a comfortable lead over the second-place Los Angeles Dodgers (88-56 – .611 winning percentage) in the National League, they will likely earn the No. 1 overall seed.