Braves can clinch division Sunday after win over Astros

“Anytime you get a chance to do that is pretty special,” Braves left fielder Mike Yastrzemski, who went 2-for-4 with an RBI and threw a runner out at second base, said. “But doesn’t change the mindset. Same thing as always, show up (Sunday) and try and take care of business.”

Yastrzemski was on third with the Braves down 2-1 and the bases loaded and two outs in the seventh inning Saturday. Acuña came to the plate and hit a 1-0 fastball 411 feet off the facade in left for his fifth career grand slam and second this season.

It was Acuña’s 20th homer and 13th since the All-Star break. Acuña now has six 20-home-run seasons since making his MLB debut in 2018.

“Man, like I said before, best feeling ever,” Acuña said. “When the guy throws 96, 97, and you got it, you don’t feel anything when you touch the ball.”

The Astros took an early lead Saturday on Isaac Paredes’ solo home run to left off Braves starter Grant Holmes. Paredes made it a 2-0 game in the third, driving in Jeremy Peña, who had led off the inning with a triple, with a one-out single to right.

That would be the only runs Holmes (10-5) allowed in six innings. He scattered eight hits while striking out four.

“Facing them second, third time through, if I could get better instead of kind of flip-flopping that, it’s always nice to finish strong,” Holmes said. “They hit some balls hard. I think two pitches I wish I could have had back: the triple and the homer. But, overall, defense played really well behind me. ‘Yaz’ in left throwing (Christian) Walker out at second, that was huge. The offense coming through was big time.”

Matt Olson got the Braves on the board in the sixth with an RBI single to center field. That came off Astros starter Hayden Wesneski, who left after allowing the one run on four hits and three walks.

Yastrzemski got the rally started in the seventh by rolling a one-out single into right field. Austin Riley lobbed a single of his own to left and Sean Murphy drew a walk to load the bases ahead of Acuña.

“That was a huge three at bats in a row and just grinding it out, moving the line along,” Yastrzemski said. “I think everybody did a great job and ‘Ronnie’ just capped it off.”

The Astros pulled left-hander AJ Blubaugh from the mound and brought in righty Bryan Abreu. With Braves fans in attendance chopping and chanting at Daikin Park, Abreu struck out Drake Baldwin before his first pitch to Acuña was up and in, backing Acuña off the plate.

But the second pitch was right down the middle. And Acuña didn’t miss.

“(Abreu’s) thing, every time, he throw me in,” Acuña said. “And I looking in, so I don’t think that’s a problem. So I’m looking fastball, he throw me it, and I got it.”

Víctor Mederos pitched a 1-2-3 seventh to preserve the Braves’ 5-2 lead, then Yastrzemski added a solo shot in the eighth, his 11th of the season, giving the Braves some important insurance. Dylan Lee allowed an eighth-inning run after a two-out walk, single and Yainer Diaz double to left.

Braves closer Raisel Iglesias pitched a 1-2-3 ninth for his 34th save of the season, and more importantly inching his team closer to another division crown.

“Hopefully we can finish it off (Sunday),” Holmes said. “Just got to keep putting good innings together, good at-bats, and I feel like we put ourselves in a pretty good situation to take it.”