ATLANTA, Ga. - You would not have been crazy to pick the Atlanta Braves to win the National League East to start the season. Coming into 2021, the Braves had won three straight division titles and boasted the most stacked lineup in the division.

However, as the season progressed, the injuries that ravaged this roster put their division title chances very far down the list. Travis d'Arnaud, Marcell Ozuna, and Ronald Acuna Jr. all were lost at some point as injuries plagued Atlanta. Their chances of competing for a postseason bid started to vanish.

Despite having to play 54 different players this season, despite losing two MVP-level hitters throughout the year, and despite all the pressure-packed into this final three-game series with the Philadelphia Phillies, the Braves did it again; their 5-3 victory on Thursday completed a three-game sweep of Philly, clinching the fourth straight NL East title for the Braves.

Fittingly, it was the trade deadline acquisition, Jorge Soler, who provided the biggest hit of the night. The Braves traded for the former World Series Champion to help bring some of the pop back to the lineup that they lost to injuries. He did just that in this pivotal game, leading off the bottom of the first inning with a mammoth 465-foot blast to left field.

From that moment on, the night was for Atlanta's.

Starting pitcher Ian Anderson (9-5) followed in the footsteps of the starters before him, picking up the win while pitching 6 solid innings. He did allow a two-run homer to Andrew McCutchen before exiting the game but still gets credit for his ninth win of the season. Will Smith picked up his 37th save of the year as the Braves clinched their 21st division title, the most in MLB history.

Braves on Their Own Historic Run

The St. Louis Cardinals have dominated the headlines thanks to their epic 17-game win streak that helped them clinch the NL Wild Card spot. Not much has been said about the Braves' run; after their victory on Thursday, the Braves had won 10 of their last 11 games en route to the NL East Crown.

It was a simply historic run that put the Braves back into contention over the last two months. From April to July, the Braves were a sub .500 team possibly looking at selling at the trade deadline. In the final two months of the season, the Braves have gone 32-21 as they took the NL East lead in August and never looked back.

One difference-maker, as mentioned before, was the trade to acquire Jorge Soler from the Royals. The power hitter had underperformed to that point in Kansas City, but the Braves hoped a new environment could spark the old Soler back into action. You might say it has; Soler doubled his Kansas City home run total (13 HR to 26 HR) in 41 fewer games as a Brave.

Up Next

Braves vs. Mets, Friday, October 1, Truist Park, Atlanta, Ga.

Phillies at Marlins, Friday, October 1, LoanDepot Park, Miami, Fla.