ATLANTA -- To truly understand the significance of the Braves’ hot streak, it’s important to focus on how many series they have won against legit postseason contenders over the past four weeks.

The Braves still have plenty of work to do before clinching a sixth straight National League East title. But they further strengthened their hold atop the division as they completed a three-game sweep of the Marlins with a 6-3 win on Sunday. Atlanta has won eight straight games for the third time this season.

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“We show up every day and try to be as level headed as we can,” Braves starter Spencer Strider said. “We kind of think of the first half as practice for the second half. So we like where we are.’

Unlike the first two games of this series, the Braves didn’t gain an early lead with a first-inning eruption. In fact, they erased an early deficit with a three-run fifth highlighted by Ozzie Albies’ two-run homer off Sandy Alcantara. Albies’ 20th homer of the season provided a lead for Strider, who allowed three runs (two earned) and struck out nine over 6 2/3 innings.

The second-place Marlins entered this series hoping to legitimize their division title hopes. But they exited Atlanta nine games behind the Braves, who have gained MLB’s best record while winning 23 of their past 26 games. 

Half of those games were played against teams that currently have a losing record. However, the past 12 games have come against teams that entered Sunday within at least two games of a postseason berth.

The successful 26-game stretch began with the first of consecutive wins in Arizona. After losing the series opener against the D-backs, the Braves claimed the first of what stands as nine straight series wins.  

“We went into a lot of series to play a lot of good teams who were playing well and we ended up winning the series,” Braves manager Brian Snitker said. “That’s the goal every time you go into a series. These guys don’t get caught up in what we’ve done or any of that. They’re just about today’s game.”

The Braves entered the first of these nine series with just a 3 1/2-game lead over the second-place Mets, who will need to win on Sunday night to remain within 18 1/2 games of Atlanta. 

This surge began with the Braves taking two of three against the D-backs, the NL West leaders who stand as the NL’s only other team to already have at least 50 wins.  

The Braves then returned to Atlanta and swept the then-second place Mets. This marked the start of a horrific June for New York, which entered Sunday just 3 1/2 games in front of the last-place Nationals.

Series wins over the Nationals, Tigers and Rockies followed the sweep of the Mets.  The past two weeks has been the most impressive part of this stretch. This span has included series wins over the Phillies, NL Central-leading Reds, AL-Central leading Twins and Marlins.  

The Phillies had won 13 of 15 before the Braves swept a two-game series in Philadelphia.  

The Reds extended their winning streak to 12 before losing the final two games of their three-game set against the Braves in Cincinnati.  

Twins manager Rocco Baldelli had a team meeting after his team was swept in Atlanta earlier this week.

As for Marlins manager Skip Schumaker, he was complimentary after being swept this weekend in Atlanta.  Maybe for good reason. His team is 1-9 against the Braves and 47-28 against all other teams this year.   

“That's a really good team that we faced and they're really hot right now, and they beat up on us,” Schumaker said. “That's just kind of what happens when certain teams are really hot at certain times of the year.”