The Atlanta Braves have clinched the National League East for 2020. This is their third consecutive division championship and the 20th overall for the franchise. Despite their magic number being three, they were able to clinch via a tiebreaker. First, they needed the Washington Nationals to defeat the Philadelphia Phillies. Then, all that would remain would be defeating the Miami Marlins. Everything worked out cleanly, as the Phillies lost, and the Braves dominated the Marlins, 11-1. Young starter Bryse Wilson helped lead the team, posting five innings of three-hit, shutout ball. The defense helped the bullpen, and the offense slugged five more home runs. It all culminated in yet another division championship and an addition to the franchise’s legacy.
2020 Atlanta Braves Recap
The 60 game season took its toll on the Braves early. On August 3, young right-hander Mike Soroka tore his Achilles while attempting to field a ground ball. He would receive surgery and miss the rest of the season. Veteran Cole Hamels was already sidelined, making the rotation suddenly threadbare. But the Braves fought through this by implementing different pitchers on a regular basis. Josh Tomlin, Huascar Ynoa, Robbie Erlin, and Kyle Wright all took their turn in the rotation with mixed results. But the emergence of Max Fried and Ian Anderson helped to stabilize things. Now that Hamels is back on the injured list, the team will be relying on them even more in the postseason.
With a dominant bullpen and a high powered offense, the Braves were able to fight their way to another division title. This grants them home field-advantage in the first round of the playoffs. Their opponent is yet to be determined, but as of writing, they are considered the second seed in the NL. If the playoffs were to start today, Atlanta would face the Cincinnati Reds or the Milwaukee Brewers.
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