Acuña's big hit secures Braves postseason berth

ATLANTA -- Ronald Acuña Jr. smiled as he was asked what it was like to be serenaded by “MVP” chants as he prepared to deliver the hit that made the Braves the first team to secure a spot in this year’s postseason.

“Anytime I hear those chants, I feel like it gives me goosebumps,” Acuña said through an interpreter. “Fortunately, when I heard it, I was able to deliver.”

Acuña fueled a four-run seventh inning with a two-out, two-run single that propelled the Braves to a 5-2 win over the Pirates on Sunday afternoon at Truist Park. A short time later the MVP candidate and his teammates shared a champagne toast in the clubhouse.

“We congratulated the guys,” Braves manager Brian Snitker said. “We’ve got a seat at the table now. It’s not what we left Spring Training to accomplish. That’s the division [title]. But to get in is huge.”

Here’s a look at where the Braves stand entering a four-game series that begins Monday against the Phillies:

• Games remaining: at PHI (4), at MIA (3), vs. PHI (3), at WSH (4), vs. CHC (3), vs. WSH (3)
• Standings update: The Braves lead the second-place Phillies by 15 games in the National League East race. Atlanta is currently the top NL division winner, meaning it would receive a first-round bye and face the winner of the No. 4 and No. 5 Wild Card teams in a five-game NL Division Series starting on Oct. 7.
• Magic number: 6 for division title

If the Braves win at least three of the four games against the Phillies, they will clinch the division crown before heading to Miami for a three-game set next weekend.

The Braves have owned a double-digit division lead during most of the second half. Acuña is an NL MVP favorite and Matt Olson might be the overwhelming favorite in any other season. But this trip back to the postseason included some challenges.

Max Fried missed three months due to forearm inflammation, and Kyle Wright is set to return for the first time since developing right shoulder discomfort during a May 3 start. Spencer Strider and Bryce Elder earned All-Star selections in their absence. Charlie Morton has proven age is just a number with his steady contributions to the rotation.

But the Braves have also benefited from unexpected contributors like Allan Winans, who limited the Pirates to two runs over 6 1/3 innings on Sunday. Winans was acquired after the Mets chose not to protect him in the Minor League portion of the 2021 Rule 5 Draft. The former high school substitute teacher has allowed two runs or less in three of the four starts made for Atlanta this year.

“I’m definitely proud to be a part of this team and to be able to put on this jersey and know how special it is,” Winans said. “Today was nice, being able to help them win.”

It’s no secret that the Braves are one of the best power-hitting teams the game has ever seen. Their 273 homers is 51 more than any other club. They are on pace to hit 311 home runs, which is four more than the MLB record set by the 2019 Twins.

But they managed to win this series finale without a homer. Pirates right-handed reliever Colin Selby issued a two-out walk and allowed Michael Harris II to single as the Braves mounted their seventh-inning threat. This set the stage for Acuña, who lined a 110.1 mph, two-run single off the center field wall.

“You heard the crowd chanting ‘MVP’ and there’s a reason they’re saying that,” Winans said. “It’s a special thing to watch and I’m not going to get tired of watching that any time soon.”

Each of the NL’s top four MVP candidates are bunched in the battle for the league’s top OPS. Mookie Betts leads with a 1.014 mark and Acuña ranks second at 1.001. Freddie Freeman is at .988 and Olson is at .987.

Olson began his three-RBI day with a sixth-inning groundout and ended it with a two-run single in the seventh. His MLB-best 121 RBIs match Dale Murphy, Freeman and Andrés Galarraga for the franchise’s fifth-highest total since the team moved to Atlanta in 1966. Gary Sheffield set the Atlanta record with 132 in 2003.