Game Recap: The Atlanta Braves clinch their sixth consecutive NL East title

Entering the 2023 baseball season, we knew this Atlanta Braves team had a lot of talent. Each game has felt like another night for another Braves record. Tonight the most consistent team in baseball polished off their sixth straight NL East title in the same place their season ended last year.

Game Summary

The Braves used thier famous first inning dominance to get an early lead in this game. Ozzie doubled on the second pitch of the game in front of Austin Riley. The Braves 2023 Heart & Hustle Award winner then smashed a 447 ft homer to give Atlanta a quick 2-0 lead.

Although Riley launched that baseball, he rounded the bases like he’s been there before; much to the delight of Phillies manager Rob Thompson I’m sure. For those who missed it, Thompson was not a fan of Ronald’s home run last night.

The most dangerous part of Phillies lineup wasted no time answering back. A couple of walks from Strider put two runners on for Bryson Stott, who would deliver a single to produce the Phillies first run of the game. Strider then struck out Marsh looking on a fastball to escape further damage.

Riley was able to provide another RBI in his next AB when his sacrifice fly scored Ronald Acuña Jr. The mustcahed flamethrower then provided the desired shutdown inning in the bottom of the third by getting the top of the Phillies lineup in order.

Atlanta continued to add on in the next frame. Ozuna led-off with a double, and Kevin Pillar came up with a clutch two-out hit to score him and make it a 4-1 lead after four innings of play.

The next couple innings went rather quickly as both starting pitchers settled into the game. Both Sánchez and Strider were racking up the strikeouts on this night.

The Braves really didn’t create another scoring chance until Acuña Jr. singled with two outs in the seventh and then followed that with a steal of second and advance to third on the poor throw. Unfortunately, Riley recorded his first out on the night at a poor time when Stott made a sliding catch in foul territory to get Philadelphia out of the jam.

After a 36 pitch first inning, Strider somehow found himself back out for the bottom of the seventh. Truly, a credit to him rebounding quickly and putting together the things that make him as special as we know him to be. Stider punctuated this special outing by getting three more outs, the final a strikeout of rookie Johan Rojas to end his latest special outing with 110 pitches thrown.

Brian Snitker went to the man who recorded the save last night, to pitch the bottom of the eighth and be the first in relief of Spencer Strider. Brad Hand has looked the best he has all year and perhaps pitched himself into a bigger postseason role. Tonight Hand struck out both Schwarber and Trea Turner, and then got the dangerous Bryce Harper to fly out to left.

The Braves got another chance to add on in the ninth when Albies came up with runners on the corners and two-outs. However, he would groundout and we moved on to the bottom of the ninth.

With three outs remaining between the Braves and their sixth straight division title, the man on the mound was not the team leader in saves, Raisel Iglesias. Instead it was the man who has overcome so much with injuries and performance over the last couple years, Kirby Yates.

Here we go, Bohm pops out to Ozzie one down. Stott flys out to the reigning NL rookie of the Year Michael Harris II now we sit one out away. Yates deals a 2-2 pitch to Brandon Marsh, swing and a miss! A devastating splitter took care of business and finished off the 4-1 victory. The Braves once again rule the NL East.

This marked the 23rd division title in franchise history (most in MLB) and tied for the second earliest clinch in Braves history. These guys have earned a huge celebration tonight, go crazy folks, go crazy.