Braves sweep Astros to clinch NL East title: 'And we're not done yet'
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HOUSTON -- 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.
Pérez was a non-roster invitee who was designated for assignment on April 12. Nobody expected him to be in the position he was on Sunday afternoon, when he helped the Braves clinch the National League East with a 4-2 win over the Astros at Daikin Park.
Yet, there Pérez was after the game, celebrating Atlanta’s seventh division title within the past nine years. His determined effort created an opportunity for another unsung hero, Mike Yastrzemski, to hit the game-winning three-run homer in the sixth.
“We’ve been fighting all year to get to this moment with this group of good guys and good coaches,” Pérez said. “I mean, everything is good. And we're not done yet.”
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Yastrzemski homered three times during this 4-2 road trip that enabled Atlanta to spend the regular season’s final six games focused on the postseason. As things currently stand, the Braves will be the NL’s No. 3 seed. It looks like their Wild Card Series opponent will be either the Padres, Cubs or the division-rival Phillies.
“You’ve got to get in [the postseason] and then you take your best shot,” Weiss said. “[During this three-game series sweep], I really felt like we took it to another level. I think we’ve got to keep our foot on the gas.”
Adding to the underdog theme was the great escape act Victor Mederos completed after he relieved Pérez with one out and the bases loaded in the fifth. Mederos struck out Jose Altuve and induced Yainer Diaz’s inning-ending groundout.
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Mederos didn’t anticipate being in this situation when he spent nearly all of this season’s first three months at the Triple-A level. The 25-year-old totaled 12 big-league appearances before this season. But the inexperience didn’t show as he has been a key bullpen piece during the season’s second half.
Since divisional play began in 1969, the Braves and Dodgers lead all big league teams with 24 division titles.
“Sometimes it's not best to be the favorite, because it comes with a lot of expectations,” Braves center fielder Michael Harris II said. “We just kept our head down and kept working. Now, we're in the position we wanted to be.”
Prognosticators were skeptical about the Braves entering Spring Training and even more so when starting pitchers Spencer Schwellenbach, Spencer Strider, Hurston Waldrep and Joey Wentz all sustained injuries in Spring Training. Atlanta also lost projected left fielder/designated hitter Jurickson Profar to a second performance-enhancing drug suspension before the season began.
“All of that created some opportunities for some guys, and they thrived,” Weiss said. “The guys that stepped up really created some great stories.”
Atlanta’s starting rotation depth was concerning throughout the season. But the Braves got by with the help of Pérez, who posted a 3.04 ERA in 30 starts (26 appearances), and the Trade Deadline acquisition of Tyler Mahle, who has posted a 1.28 ERA in the eight starts he has made since being acquired from the Giants.
That champagne tasted a little sweeter as Mahle experienced his first division-winning celebration on Sunday.
“This took six months to make,” ace Chris Sale said. “So, every time you get to this moment, you’ve got to stop and enjoy where you’re at [and] who you’re doing it with. These never get old.”
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Mahle has certainly surprised many since bringing a 5.13 ERA to Atlanta. Braves president of operations Alex Anthopoulos deserves credit for seeing the upside in Mahle. Anthopoulos also made a key under-the-radar acquisition in November, when he acquired Mauricio Dubón from the Astros.
Dubón’s statistics aren’t jaw-dropping, but he has provided tremendous value with his defensive versatility and clubhouse presence. He doubled ahead of Yastrzemski’s decisive homer in the sixth.
The Braves have plenty of star power with the likes of Ronald Acuña Jr., Matt Olson and Sale. But the postseason will create opportunities for unexpected stars like AJ Smith-Shawver to shine. Smith-Shawver didn’t fare well as a starter over the past month. But he looked good as his fastball touched 100.5 mph as he recorded four strikeouts over two scoreless innings on Sunday.
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As for Weiss, he has made himself a strong NL Manager of the Year candidate during his first year as Atlanta’s skipper. It looks like he was the perfect man for the job even though there wasn’t an overwhelming expectation he would get it.
“When we faced our biggest challenges this year, that's when we've been at our best,” Weiss said. “If you think about it, all the tough stretches, that's when we turned it around and we were at our best. I think that's become part of our identity.”