Michael Harris II, Ronald Acuna Jr. and Matt Olson slugged two-run home runs, and deadline acquisition Tyler Mahle continued his exceptional pitching for the visiting Atlanta Braves, who secured a postseason berth with a 6-2 victory over the Houston Astros on Friday.
The Braves (90-64) lowered their magic number to clinch the National League East to three over the Philadelphia Phillies, who suffered a 6-3 road loss to the New York Mets earlier on Friday. The Braves have qualified for the postseason eight times over the last nine seasons.
Harris provided Mahle a 2-0 lead when he followed a one-out single by Matt Olson with an opposite-field blast to left off Astros starter Peter Lambert (8-10) in the top of the fourth inning. Harris (3-for-5) drove a first-pitch slurve from Lambert 367 feet for his 26th homer of the year.
Lambert retired the Braves in order in the first and second innings, and stranded baserunners in the third, fourth and fifth. He departed with one out in the sixth after allowing singles to Olson and Harris before loading the bases with a walk to Ozzie Albies. Astros reliever AJ Blubaugh relieved Lambert and left the bases loaded, but Lambert extended his winless streak to 12 consecutive starts after allowing two runs, six hits and one walk while striking out six batters.
Acuna followed a one-out walk from Drake Baldwin with his 19th home run in the seventh, a 369-foot line drive to left off Blubaugh that extended the lead to 4-1. With one out in the ninth, Olson bashed his 40th homer the opposite way to left off Astros reliever Enyel De Los Santos.
Mahle (7-10) improved to 4-1 with a 1.28 ERA over eight starts since his acquisition from the Giants. He allowed one run on three hits and one walk with six strikeouts over six innings.
Yordan Alvarez doubled leading off the fourth and scored when Isaac Paredes followed with a single to center. Alvarez finished 1-for-2 with two walks and had just one plate appearance with a runner on base. Paredes followed the second Alvarez walk in the eighth with an RBI single that plated LaMonte Wade Jr.
The Astros (77-77) threatened later in the eighth, but Acuna made a spectacular diving catch that retired Jose Altuve and stranded two baserunners.
