The surprising Braves of Atlanta clinch the crown of the National League East for the first time since 2013



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The Atlanta Braves earned their first Eastern title of the National League since 2013 on Saturday, eliminating the Philadelphia Phillies by a 5-3 final.

Mike Foltynewicz dominated the Phillies in six innings, but did not bow until Odubel Herrera started the seventh with a single. Meanwhile, the Braves chased Jake Arrieta after two innings by scoring two points each in the first and second frames to establish a 4-0 lead. The Phillies would threaten to eighth before breaking down.

Although the Braves came in the spring with a well-considered farming system, it's fair to say that they were not supposed to be as good sooner.

The Braves have received a production worthy of material from Freddie Freeman, the teammate of the organization, as well as the phenomenon Ronald Acuna Jr., who could well win the title of rookie of the year in the Netherlands. Ozzie Albies played 23 games with a quick start. Nick Markakis and others also participated. On the mound, the aforementioned Foltynewicz went to the all-star game with its improved performances.

Add it all and the Braves are second in the heats, second in OPS and sixth in ERA. They also have the fifth best defense in baseball, according to the Defensive Efficiency Measure adjusted to the Baseball Park Prospectus. It's a good team.

The division crown this year is the 18th since the franchise moved to Atlanta – 14 of those that followed one another, from 1991 to 2005.

The Braves will likely play the NL West winner – probably the Los Angeles Dodgers – in the first round of the playoffs. You can check out the generic playoff schedule here because more teams are trying to hit their tournament tickets over the coming week.

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