The Atlanta Braves are National League East champions once again.
Atlanta completed a three-game sweep of the Houston Astros Sunday afternoon with a 4-2 victory at Daikin Park, clinching the NL East championship for the seventh time in the last nine seasons. The win improved Atlanta to 92-64 on the year.
Houston struck first when Jose Altuve connected for a solo home run in the fourth inning, giving the Astros a 1-0 advantage. Astros starter Hunter Brown kept the Braves quiet through five innings, allowing only three hits while striking out 10.
But the Braves finally broke through in a big way in the sixth.
After Michael Harris II walked and Mauricio Dubón doubled, Ozzie Albies delivered an RBI single to tie the game at one. Then Mike Yastrzemski provided the biggest swing of the afternoon, blasting a three-run home run to right-center field to put Atlanta in front 4-1. Yastrzemski finished the afternoon 2-for-4 with three RBIs.
Braves starter Martín Pérez allowed one run on six hits over 4⅓ innings. Victor Mederos earned the victory after escaping a bases-loaded jam in the fifth, while Atlanta’s bullpen took care of the rest. Dylan Dodd struck out all three batters he faced in the ninth to record his second save of the season.
Houston cut the lead to 4-2 on a Yainer Diaz solo homer in the eighth, but that was as close as the Astros would get.
The victory capped off an impressive weekend in Houston for Atlanta. The Braves won 6-2 Friday, 6-3 Saturday and 4-2 Sunday, completing the sweep and securing another trip to the postseason as division champions.
The Braves return home Tuesday night to open a three-game series against the Cincinnati Reds, with JR Ritchie scheduled to take the mound for Atlanta.
