Crammed into the visitor’s clubhouse, the Atlanta Braves puffed on their championship cigars, showered each other with bubbly, shot-gunned beers and danced in alcohol puddles — until the music briefly paused.
“Turn the music up. Some people want to party,” reliever Kirby Yates shouted.
On his command, the music was cranked to maximum volume and the National League East title celebration resumed. Yates was the one who closed another division title, so he got to call the shots in the locker room, and as he surveyed the jubilation around him, and ran his fingers through hair matted by booze, Yates knew there was nowhere else he wanted to be.
Photo: AFP
“So far it’s the best part about being a baseball player,” he said.
It is just what the Braves do at this time of year.
The Braves on Wednesday clinched their sixth straight National League East title, beating the Philadelphia Phillies 4-1 behind Spencer Strider’s major league-leading 17th win and Austin Riley’s two-run homer.
“Now the real party starts,” Strider said.
Yates struck out Brandon Marsh to end the game and the players danced in a mob near the mound as Phillies fans booed them off the field.
“Congratulations Atlanta Braves 2023 NL East Champions” flashed on the scoreboard.
Braves star Ronald Acuna Jr responded to booing fans by raising both arms and signaling with his hands to bring it on.
“We’ve checked one box,” Braves manager Brian Snitker said.
Atlanta (96-50) clinched the title in 146 games, the second-quickest in the divisional era. The division title was the Braves’ record 26th, two more than the Los Angeles Dodgers and New York Yankees.
The Braves have seemingly made winning the East a rite of September since the 1990s and this season’s team looks loaded enough to win their third World Series since moving from Milwaukee to Atlanta in 1966. Over that span, Atlanta won 11 straight National League East titles from 1995 to 2005, and the World Series in 1995 and 2021.
Yates earned his fifth save.
Atlanta took special satisfaction in clinching on the same Citizens Bank Park field where the Phillies eliminated them in October last year in the National League Division Series. The Phillies won that series 3-1 — just as Atlanta won this four-game set.
The Phillies lead the National League wild card and the teams could face each other again next month.
For now, this month belongs to the Braves.
“Did we want it to be on our field? No, but they’re going to have to do it somewhere,” Phillies slugger Kyle Schwarber said. “The focus is on us, still. We’re going to keep pushing until the very end.”
Riley gave the Braves all the runs they needed when he connected off Cristopher Sanchez (2-4) in the first inning for his 35th homer.
“I try not to think of moments like that,” Riley said. “You just try and go up there and have a good at-bat. I’ve put a lot of pressure on myself this year to perform in those moments. I was able to put a good swing on there.”
Riley had a sacrifice fly in the third inning and Kevin Pillar added an RBI double in the fourth for a 4-1 lead.
Sanchez struck out a career-best 10 in 7-1/3 innings, but the Phillies have still lost five of seven.
“We’ll bounce back,” Phillies manager Rob Thomson said. “This group has been resilient all year.”
Strider (17-5) took it from there and won for the fifth time in six starts, allowing one run and four hits in seven innings.
Strider struck out nine to boost his MLB-best total to 259. He also gave the bullpen some needed rest after a rough first three games in Philadelphia that included Raisel Iglesias surrendering tying homers in the ninth inning in two of them.
That the Braves had the mettle to rebound and win on the road from the crushing blows is just one more reason why they just might be the team to beat in the post-season.
“Let’s get ready for October,” Strider said.
Elsewhere, the Astros outplayed the Athletics 6-2, the Rays tamed the Twins 5-4, the Cardinals edged the Orioles 1-0, the Marlins beat the Brewers 2-0, the Padres downed the Dodgers 6-1, the Rockies crushed the Cubs 7-3 and the Rangers battered the Blue Jays 10-0.
The Reds tamed the Tigers 4-3, the Mariners edged the Angels 3-2, the Mets mastered the Diamondbacks 7-1, the Pirates sank the Nationals 7-6, the Royals walloped the White Sox 7-1 and the Giants downed the Guardians 6-5 in 10 innings.
Additional reporting by staff writer
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