Coming into Tuesday night, all the pressure was on the Braves to save their season, and the club responded with one of their most complete games of the entire year.
The rookie Spencer Schwellenbach continued to prove he’s as cold-blooded as they come. The moment wasn’t too big for him. If anything, he looked to relish the opportunity, pitching arguably his best game of the year, going seven innings and allowing just three hits and one run.
The offense also did its part, scoring five runs, with the biggest contributor being Michael Harris II. It took the Braves centerfielder just four innings to have three hits, totaling seven bases, including a home run. He also had some flashy plays in the field, leading to a 5-1 Braves win.
The victory puts Atlanta just 1.0 game behind New York in the NL Wild Card Standings, but there was another game to keep an eye on Tuesday night. Following a loss on Monday by the Diamondbacks, the Braves entered last night just 1.5 games behind Arizona. With the Braves win and another Diamondbacks loss on Tuesday, Atlanta now trails Arizona by just a half-game for the final National League Wild Card spot.
NL Wild Card Standings
- San Diego Padres (91-66)
- New York Mets (87-70)
- Arizona Diamondbacks (87-71)
- Atlanta Braves (86-71)
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The Braves are in complete control of their own destiny. With two games left against the Mets, they have a chance to tie New York today in the standings, which will also give the Braves the season tiebreaker over the Mets. That’s notable because Major League Baseball no longer does a Game 163 if teams are tied in the standings. It comes down to head-to-head record. With one more win against the Mets, the Braves will own the head-to-head tiebreaker over both the Mets and Diamondbacks.
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Photo: Rich von Biberstein/Icon Sportswire
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