Thursday, March 28, 2024
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Braves defeat Phillies and are just one win away from clinching their fourth straight NL East title

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USATSI

The Atlanta Braves defeated the Philadelphia Phillies by a 7-2 final (box score) on Wednesday night, all but ensuring they’ll win their fourth consecutive National League East title. The combination of Atlanta’s win and Philadelphia’s loss means the Braves’ magic number is down to one. Any Braves win or Phillies loss the rest of the season will result in the Braves clinching the division crown.

The Braves, who entered the night with a 3 ½ game lead over the Phillies with five to play, jumped ahead early. Austin Riley and Adam Duvall each plated a run in the first inning, putting the Braves up 2-0. The Phillies cut the lead in half during the second inning, but it didn’t matter. Eddie Rosario doubled to make it 3-1 in the third. A Jean Segura groundout in the sixth again reduced Atlanta’s lead to one, yet it wouldn’t remain that way for much longer.

The Braves broke the game open in the seventh inning, with a Riley double scoring  a pair to make it 5-2. Dansby Swanson then singled in two more, giving Atlanta a secure 7-2 lead.

On the mound, the Braves were paced by left-hander Max Fried. He tossed seven innings of two-run (one earned) ball, permitting four hits and no walks while punching out six. Fried came into the night with a 3.12 ERA (141 ERA+) and a 3.71 strikeout-to-walk ratio in his first 27 starts this season.

The Braves will wrap up their series with the Phillies on Thursday night. After that, Atlanta will welcome the New York Mets to town for three games. It’s theoretically possible the Braves will have to play a make-up game next week against the Colorado Rockies, but that seems unlikely given current information.

The Phillies, for their part, will head to Miami to play the Marlins three times beginning on Friday. 

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