Ronald Acuna Jr. returned to action on Thursday and is expected to be in the lineup again on Friday night when his Atlanta Braves open a three-game series at the Miami Marlins to close the regular season.
The Braves have spent much of the season overcoming injuries to their pitching staff. Their ability to do it again could determine how long their postseason run lasts.
Mauricio Dubon’s infield chopper to the mound in the 10th inning gave the Atlanta Braves a 3-2 walk-off victory over the Cincinnati Reds on Wednesday.
The Braves are getting one of baseball’s most effective relievers back just in time for the postseason.
With the National League East title secured and the No. 3 seed all but settled, the Atlanta Braves will use the final week of the regular season to prepare for the postseason and answer several questions about their pitching staff.
Braves manager Walt Weiss has reminded his players that preseason prognosticators weren’t high on their chances this year. So, it was fitting for the underdog Martin Pérez to start the game that clinched Atlanta’s latest division crown.
Michael Harris II, Ronald Acuna Jr. and Matt Olson slugged two-run home runs, and deadline acquisition Tyler Mahle continued his exceptional pitching for the visiting Atlanta Braves, who secured a postseason berth with a 6-2 victory over the Houston Astros on Friday.
The Braves haven’t yet clinched the National League East title. But their comfortable division lead has enabled them to ensure Chris Sale will get an extended breather before his final regular-season start and then make his first postseason start with extra rest.
Ronald Acuna Jr., Ozzie Albies and Drake Baldwin each hit two-run homers to lift the visiting Atlanta Braves to a 6-3 victory over the Chicago Cubs on Tuesday.
As the postseason approaches, the Atlanta Braves still are trying to lock down their pitching plans.
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