The Atlanta Braves secured the National League East title for the seventh time in nine years with a 4-2 victory over the Houston Astros on Sunday. The game was held in Atlanta, where a key performance by Mike Yastrzemski, who hit a three-run home run during a four-run sixth inning, helped the Braves overcome the Astros. Dylan Dodd sealed the win by striking out the side in the ninth inning, prompting the team to celebrate on the field with hats and T-shirts commemorating their division championship.
This title marks a significant turnaround for the Braves under first-year manager Walt Weiss, who took over following a disappointing 2025 season that saw the team finish fourth in the division with a 76-86 record and miss the playoffs. Weiss credited the team’s collective effort, noting that “virtually everyone that got an opportunity stepped up,” and emphasized the difficulty of winning a division in the competitive landscape of Major League Baseball. Atlanta’s 24 division titles now tie them with the Los Angeles Dodgers for the most since the divisional format was introduced in 1969. The Braves have claimed the NL East crown 19 times in the last 32 seasons.
Despite clinching a postseason berth earlier in the week, the Braves had reserved their big celebration for the division title, with players celebrating energetically afterward in the clubhouse. Outfielder Mauricio Dubón described the accomplishment as “the first step” toward broader postseason goals, acknowledging the hard work and preparation involved over the course of the six-month season.
Elsewhere in Major League Baseball on Sunday, the Tampa Bay Rays edged closer to clinching the American League East with a 5-1 win over the Boston Red Sox in St. Petersburg, Florida. Griffin Jax pitched five scoreless innings, and the Rays can secure their division title with a win against the New York Yankees on Tuesday. Meanwhile, the Red Sox, despite Sunday’s loss, clinched a playoff spot after the Astros’ defeat by the Braves.
The Milwaukee Brewers set a franchise record with their 98th win of the season in Baltimore, beating the Orioles 3-0 behind a home run from William Contreras and completing a three-game sweep. In Cleveland, the Guardians maintained their lead in the American League Central with a 1-0 victory over the Athletics, as Gavin Williams allowed no runs over seven innings.
In the National League West, the Los Angeles Dodgers swept the San Francisco Giants 3-1, powered by Kiké Hernández’s go-ahead RBI double in the seventh inning. The Chicago Cubs moved closer to clinching a postseason berth with a 9-1 win over the Reds in Cincinnati, aided by Pete Crow-Armstrong’s 45th home run. In Arlington, Texas, the Toronto Blue Jays avoided a series sweep of the AL West-leading Rangers by winning 7-2, with leadoff hitter Brett Bateman scoring three times.
With several division titles nearing resolution and postseason berths solidifying, attention now turns to the final days of the regular season and the reshaping of the playoff landscape.