By KRISTIE RIEKEN AP Sports Writer
HOUSTON (AP) — The Atlanta Braves held a subdued celebration when they clinched a playoff berth Friday night after missing out last season.
The first-place Braves beat the Houston Astros 6-2 to punch their ticket to the postseason for the eighth time in nine years. They secured at least a National League wild card and reduced their magic number to three for winning the NL East.
Afterward there was no wild celebration, but rather a simple toast with bubbly before they began looking ahead.
“We’ve got our eyes on bigger and better things,” outfielder Michael Harris II said. “We’re trying to win the East. So got to go out there and do what we know we can do and hopefully we can celebrate big for that.”
First-year manager Walt Weiss echoed the sentiment shared by Harris.
“Everything you get in this league is earned,” Weiss said. “I’ve said it a few times this year, but great group, what they’ve overcome this year, and hopefully some bigger celebrations ahead.”
Harris, Ronald Acuña Jr. and Matt Olson each hit a two-run homer to help the Braves bounce back after dropping two of three games to the Chicago Cubs this week.
Atlanta is trying to hold off the Philadelphia Phillies for the NL East title and could wrap up the division crown as soon as Sunday. Atlanta’s win Friday night coupled with Philadelphia’s 6-3 loss to the Mets gave the Braves a five-game lead over the Phillies with eight to play.
Weiss was asked about helping the team back to the playoffs in his first season as manager after spending eight seasons as Brian Snitker’s bench coach.
“I always say it’s always about the players,” Weiss said. “They’re the ones out there performing. We’ve got a good staff. When you accomplish things, it’s an organizational effort. … It takes everybody and we’ve got a really good group.”
If the Braves take the division, it will be their seventh NL East championship in nine years.
Atlanta’s return to the playoffs comes after a disappointing 2025 season in which the team went 76-86 and finished fourth in the division, snapping a streak of seven straight playoff appearances that included six consecutive NL East titles from 2018-23. That run was highlighted by beating the Astros to win the 2021 World Series.
Friday’s victory gave the Braves 90 wins, marking the fifth time in the last eight full seasons that they’ve reached the mark. The only teams with more 90-win seasons in that stretch are the Dodgers with eight and the Brewers and Yankees with six apiece.
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