The Atlanta Braves were able to come out victorious last night in what was essentially a must-win game behind a gem from Spencer Schwellenbach, who tossed seven innings of one-run ball.
The win puts the Braves just one game back of the Mets in the NL Wild Card standings with two more to play against New York. It also puts Atlanta just a half-game behind the Diamondbacks. A photo finish appears to be in the cards, and the Braves have to like their chances with Chris Sale toeing the rubber on Wednesday night.
No matter what happens later today, Sale should unanimously win his first Cy Young award. After five years of dealing with injuries, he’s finally been able to stay healthy in his first season with Atlanta, and it just might be the best of his career. Sale has a legitimate opportunity at finishing the season an MLB Triple Crown winner, leading all of baseball in wins, ERA, and strikeouts — the former being the most important category to the Braves playoff hopes.
As it currently stands, Chris Sale and Tarik Skubal lead the majors with 18 wins apiece. A win tonight, and Sale will be alone with 19 wins. That would give the Braves a massive advantage in the NL Wild Card race. Not only would they tie the Mets in the standings and potentially jump the Diamondbacks, but the Braves would also own the head-to-head tiebreaker against both teams. With Major League Baseball no longer implementing a Game 163, the tiebreaker comes down to a head-to-head record. A win tonight, and the Braves would also win the season series against the Mets.
It’s the kind of stuff movies are made of. Chris Sale was brought to Atlanta for one thing — to pitch in big moments. Awards are nice, but glory lasts forever. Hopefully, if the weather permits, Sale can cap off a historic campaign the right way.
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Photo: David J. Griffin/Icon Sportswire
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