(09-23-2020 10:58 AM)GoodOwl Wrote:  Braves rout Marlins, win 3rd straight NL East title

Marcell Ozuna's two home runs and 5 RBIs helped the Atlanta Braves beat the Miami Marlins 11-1 and clinch their third straight NL East title on Tuesday night.

Seems recently, every season the consensus is that Braves won't be very good, and Nats, Phiols and Metz would be better. Well, Nats did well last year from WC spot, but Braves have shown the kind of consistency in regular season that made their run in the 90's possible.
I'm really liking how the starting rotation of youngsters will be coming together for next season and beyond: Mike Soroka (hurt this year) Max Fried, Ian Anderson, and then a combination of Wright/Wilson, et al. We can jettison Folty and Newcomb this winter and get another bat to replace Ozuna, and re-sign Freeman to another long-term deal to keep him a Brave for life, like Chipper.

Now, we just need to win a playoff series or two for the first time in quite a while (10 straight playoff series losses, Yikes!). Atlanta clinched its record 20th division title, one more than the New York Yankees. The Braves won 14 straight in completed seasons from 1991-2005 but have not won a postseason series since 2001 and have not won a championship since 1995. We haven't had much recent playoff luck against the Cardinals, but Phillies will also be tough in a 3 game series. Braves have shown that when their bats go out, they are toast. Need to be sure that doesn't happen this October.

Also, the Dodgers at 39-16, clinched their eighth consecutive division title. Only the 1991-2005 Braves and 1998-2006 Yankees had longer streaks. Tomorrow they'll begin quarantine at a nearby hotel. Seven days later, they'll host a three-game wild-card series from an empty Dodger Stadium. They probably hope it won't be against the Reds.

Yeah, the Dodgers might very possibly have to go Reds/Padres in first 2 rounds. Good luck with that Dodgers. Braves will be lucky as anything that they're in the other half of the bracket..