The Atlanta Braves are officially headed back to the postseason after beating the Houston Astros 6-2 on Friday night. Three two-run home runs supplied every Atlanta run as the club secured its eighth playoff appearance in nine seasons.
Three swings decide it
Michael Harris II opened the scoring with a two-run homer in the fourth inning. Ronald Acuña Jr. doubled the lead with another two-run shot in the seventh, and Matt Olson added his 40th home run of the season in the ninth.
Acuña also made a diving catch in right field to end Houston's eighth-inning threat and preserve a two-run advantage.
Tyler Mahle held the Astros to one run and three hits across six innings. The right-hander improved to 4-1 with a 1.28 ERA in eight starts since joining Atlanta.
The division remains in play
The victory lifted the Braves to 90-64. Philadelphia's loss to the Mets also reduced Atlanta's magic number for the National League East title to three.
Atlanta has secured its place in the field, but its final seed and potential first-round bye remain unsettled with eight regular-season games left. The Braves continue their series in Houston on Saturday night.
_Photo: Ian D'Andrea/Wikimedia Commons, licensed under CC BY-SA 2.0._