3 Takeaways: Atlanta Braves edge Phillies, trim magic number to 8

While it was a night that didn’t see much offense, the Atlanta Braves churned out playoff-worthy pitching as they outlasted the Philadelphia Phillies 3-1 on Wednesday, trimming the team’s magic number to clinch the NL East to eight.

The win – the Atlanta Braves 91st of the season – guarantees at least a series split with the Phillies, with the fourth and final game of the series being played on Thursday.

The 91 victories also surpasses the Braves’ win total from a season ago, when they won the NL East for the first time since 2013.

Braves starter Dallas Keuchel pitched as if he was primed for October baseball, hurling 6 innings of one-run ball and eight strikeouts.

The Atlanta reliever trifecta (Chris Martin, Shane Greene, and Mark Melancon) added at the trade deadline in late July did exactly what Alex Anthopoulos envisioned they would do when he secured the deals for those players: they shortened the game and slammed the door shut late.

Finally, on a night where the offense was hard to come by, the Atlanta Braves did what they so often have done this year: they relied on one of the “ordinary” guys to deliver an extraordinary clutch hit.

Tyler Flowers, admittedly in the middle of a much-maligned season, came through with the most devastating blow of the night in the game’s 4th inning when he cranked a three-run homer.

The long ball from the Braves’ catcher proved to be the difference in yet another statement-making victory.

Atlanta will seek to win the series outright – and clip the all-important magic number down further – with the series finale on Thursday night.

Here are three of our biggest takeaways from the Atlanta Braves 3-1 win.