HOUSTON -- Tyler Mahle was part of a third-place Reds team that was swept by the Braves in the opening round of the expanded playoff format used during the COVID-shortened 2020 season. His hope to pitch in the 2023 playoffs for the Twins was erased when he underwent Tommy John surgery in May of that season.
So, it’s easy to understand why the veteran hurler had extra motivation as he helped the Braves claim a 6-2 win over the Astros on Friday night at Daikin Park. The victory clinched a postseason berth for Atlanta and allowed Mahle to grow more excited about what will be his first playoff start.
“It’s just exciting to be part of such a good team,” Mahle said. “I’m just trying to do my part and play along with these studs on this team.”
Speaking of studs, Mahle certainly qualifies with the 1.28 ERA he has produced since he was acquired from the Giants on Aug. 2. His ERA ranks third among all qualified MLB starters going back to Aug. 4, one day after the Trade Deadline. The only pitchers with a better mark during this stretch are the Yankees’ Cam Schlittler (1.00) and the Phillies’ Jesús Luzardo (1.08).
So, Mahle has certainly earned the respect of the other studs in the Braves’ clubhouse.
“I remember when he got traded, people were like, ‘What are we doing?’” Mauricio Dubón said. “Now he's one of the best pitchers. He's been lights out. You know, every time he goes out there, we’ve got a chance to win.”
Now that the Braves (90-64) have guaranteed they’ll be in the postseason, they’ll focus on wrapping up the National League East. They own a five-game lead over the second-place Phillies (85-69) with just eight games remaining.
To clinch before heading home on Sunday night, the Braves would need to sweep this three-game series and have the Phillies lose one of the next two games against the Mets.
This is the eighth time in nine years that the Braves have reached the postseason. Their greatest run during that stretch occurred in 2021, when they celebrated a World Series title with a Game 6 win here in Houston.
“You want to win the World Series and you can't get there without making the playoffs,” Braves center fielder Michael Harris II said. “So it's obviously good to be in this situation right now.”
Harris was a top prospect who attended World Series games as a fan in 2021. Matt Olson was also watching from afar as he was still a few months away from being traded by the A’s to his hometown team. As for Ronald Acuña Jr., he was recovering from right knee surgery when the Braves won that title. This time, they each had a chance to have fun in Houston.
Harris, Acuña Jr. and Olson (No. 40 on the season) all hit a two-run homer to back Mahle, who allowed one run and three hits over six innings. This has become a typical outing for the right-hander, who has been impressive in eight starts for Atlanta since being acquired from the Giants on Aug. 2.
“What a boost to our team and to our rotation he’s been,” manager Walt Weiss said. “He’s been great, literally every time out.”
With injuries further depleting the rotation’s depth recently, you can still argue the Braves could have benefited from the addition of another starter before the Aug. 3 Trade Deadline. But Braves president of baseball operations Alex Anthopoulos deserves to be praised for landing Mahle, who had posted a 5.13 ERA in the 18 starts he made for San Francisco before the trade.
Anthopoulos drew criticism when he didn’t land what was perceived to be a frontline starter. But Mahle has actually been more effective than every available starter, including Tarik Skubal, who has a 2.52 ERA in the eight starts he’s made since the Dodgers acquired him from the Tigers.
“I’ve been able to capitalize on my chances and my opportunities,” Mahle said. “I’m looking forward to keeping it going, and I’m just super excited for this club.”