The Atlanta Braves clinched the NL East with a 4-1 win against the Philadelphia Phillies on Wednesday.
Spencer Strider surrendered one run on four hits with nine strikeouts over seven innings for his 17th win of the season, while third baseman Austin Riley had two hits – including a long home run – and three RBIs.
Atlanta has now won the division for six straight years. The Braves are also the first team to clinch their division in 2023, and they tied the 1995 team for the second-earliest date to secure the NL East in franchise history.
The club leads all of baseball with 96 wins and a whopping plus-242 run differential.
The Braves have already set the NL record for total home runs in a single season and have a chance to break the MLB mark set by the Minnesota Twins in 2019.
Ronald Acuña Jr. is one of the favorites to win NL MVP thanks to his unprecedented combination of power and speed. He’s gone deep 37 times with 66 stolen bases and a 1.002 OPS over 146 games.
Matt Olson is also primed to break the franchise’s single-season homer record of 51 when he hits his next dinger. The All-Star first baseman is currently tied with Braves legend Andruw Jones.
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