Mike Yastrzemski capped a four-run sixth inning with a three-run homer, and the visiting Atlanta Braves cliched the National League East with a 4-2 victory over the Houston Astros on Sunday.
The Braves (92-64) swept the three-game interleague series and claimed their seventh division pennant over the last nine seasons.
Jose Altuve and Yainer Diaz homered for the spiraling Astros (77-79), who are 4-10 since reaching a season-high four games above .500 on Sept. 4, and will enter the final week of the regular season in second place in the American League West, behind the Texas Rangers.
Yastrzemski was the last of four batters to reach safely against Astros left-handed reliever Bryan King (3-6), who entered in relief of right-hander Hunter Brown to open the top of the sixth inning.
Charged with holding a 1-0 lead, King issued a leadoff walk to Michael Harris II before surrendering a double to Mauricio Dubon that advanced Harris to third. Ozzie Albies followed with a game-tying single and set the table for the lefty-hitting Yastrzemski.
Yastrzemski yanked a 1-2 fastball from King out to right, a 373-foot blast that gave the Braves a 4-1 lead. It marked the 12th home run of the season for Yastrzemski and his first off a southpaw.
King failed to retire any of the four batters he faced, allowing four runs, three hits and one walk.
Brown produced his third scoreless start of the season and matched his season high with 10 strikeouts. He allowed three hits, all singles, and issued two walks over five innings.
Braves starter Martin Perez stranded the bases loaded in the bottom of the first inning and retired the Astros in order in the second and third. But Altuve gave the Astros a 1-0 lead when he led off the fourth with his 16th home run, a 335-foot shot to left.
The Astros loaded the bases with one out in the fifth against Perez but failed to extend their lead. Braves reliever Victor Mederos (5-1) entered and thrived in the ensuing high-leverage situation, striking out Altuve before getting Diaz to ground into an inning-ending fielder’s choice.
Diaz hit his 13th home run with one out in the eighth, a solo shot off Braves reliever Ray Kerr. Braves left-hander Dylan Dodd struck out the side in the ninth for his second save.
–Field Level Media
