Braves clinch postseason bid with three homers in win over Astros

The Phillies also lost on Friday night, so the magic number for the division sits at three.

The bats were quiet in the early innings, but a quick rally ignited in the fourth against Houston starter Peter Lambert . Matt Olson singled and Michael Harris ambushed a first-pitch slurve the opposite way to give Atlanta a 2-0 lead.

The Astros would battle back in the bottom of the fourth with some fortuitous BABIP luck against Mahle, scoring a run by way of a Yordan Alvarez doink double down the left field line and an infield single from Jose Altuve . Isaac Paredes would single in Alvarez, but Mahle worked around the mess and allowed just one run to score.