Tyler Mahle finally has the October assignment he has spent years chasing. The veteran right-hander helped Atlanta lock down a 6-2 victory over Houston on Friday night at Daikin Park, a win that put the Braves back in the postseason and cleared the way for Mahle to make the first playoff start of his career.
A long road back to October
Mahle knows how quickly a postseason can disappear. He reached the expanded 2020 tournament with Cincinnati, only to see the third-place Reds swept by Atlanta in the opening round. His next opportunity was halted before it began: Tommy John surgery in May 2023 ended his hopes of pitching for Minnesota that fall.
That history gave Friday’s clincher a little extra weight for Mahle. Atlanta’s ticket to October means he will get a chance that had previously slipped away.
- Mahle was on Cincinnati’s 2020 playoff club, which was eliminated in a first-round sweep by the Braves.
- He missed the 2023 postseason after undergoing Tommy John surgery in May of that year.
- Friday’s win assures Mahle of his first postseason start.
Braves turn from berth to division race
With the playoff spot secured, Atlanta can put its attention on the National League East finish. The Braves hold a five-game advantage over the second-place Phillies with eight games left on the schedule.
Atlanta has a path to settling the division before it heads home Sunday night, though it will need help from New York.
- The Braves must complete a three-game sweep of the Astros.
- The Phillies must lose one of their next two games against the Mets.
October has become familiar ground
This will be Atlanta’s eighth postseason appearance in the last nine seasons, a run that includes the franchise’s 2021 World Series championship. That title was sealed in Houston, where the Braves won Game 6.
Friday’s 6-2 result did not bring another trophy, but it gave the Braves a familiar destination and gave Mahle a long-awaited place in it.
