Braves get an unexpected gift and take full advantage of it

The Atlanta Braves can thank the New York Mets for being bad against a bad team, alright.

After sweeping the Miami Marlins to win their fifth game in a row, the Atlanta Braves find themselves only one game back of the New York Mets in the tight National League East race.

Atlanta avenged its opening loss to the Colorado Rockies on Tuesday night twice over before heading into the Marlins series. After seven was the Mets’ lucky number on Friday night, it became the Washington Nationals’ on both Saturday and Sunday, as the winning team scored that many runs in each game of that series. Dropping two in a row to Washington was brutal for the Mets…

After a lengthy rain delay on Sunday, Atlanta has an off-day, now only one game back of New York.

Atlanta Braves are now one game back of the New York Mets in the NL East race

While the defending World Series champions have not yet overtaken their most hated rival, time is on Atlanta’s side in this. Though both teams are essentially locks to make the postseason, Atlanta is getting healthier, while New York is falling apart. Factor in the final regular season series being between them in Atlanta, and you better believe The Battery will be in full-blown October mode.

The reason behind winning the division being so important is this. The top two seeds in each league will get a first-round bye into the LDS, whereas teams seeded No. 3 through No. 6 will have to play in a three-game Wild Card series at the higher-seeded team’s baseball cathedral. While the second-place finisher in the NL East probably gets the No. 4 seed, it is only a three-game series…

Ultimately, we may get to a point where the division lead goes back and forth between the Braves and the Mets in the final few weeks of the season. However, unless either squad has a four-game lead heading into the final weekend of the regular season, the division crown will be decided at Truist Park, as it should be. For now, the Braves know they are capable of making it five in a row.

There is a lot of baseball left, but the Mets blew a golden opportunity to hold serve this weekend.