Braves sweep slumping Cubs
ATLANTA — MLB home runs leader Max Olson hit his 54th homer of the season, and the Atlanta Braves clinched home-field advantage throughout the postseason with a 5-3 win over the slumping Chicago Cubs on Thursday night.
Austin Riley had three hits and scored two runs as the Braves (103-56) won for the sixth time in seven games. The sixtime reigning National League East Division champions can match the franchise record for wins by sweeping their threegame series with the visiting Washington Nationals to close the regular season. That series starts Friday.
Chicago has dropped 13 of its past 19 games to fall out of position for an NL wild card. With the three-game sweep by the Braves, the Cubs (82-77) fell a half-game back of the Miami Marlins for the third wild card, pending the result of the Marlins’ raindelayed game against the New York Mets.
Atlanta rookie A.J. Smith-Shawver allowed a run in 3 2/3 hitless innings Thursday. Kyle Wright (1-3) then came in and pitched 2 1/3 innings of one-run ball. Raisel Iglesias picked up his 32nd save of the year with a perfect ninth inning.
Chicago right-hander Marcus Stroman (10-9) was charged with four runs (two earned) and four hits in two innings. It was his second start and fourth appearance overall since coming off the injured list on Sept. 15.
Seiya Suzuki had three hits and two RBIs for the Cubs. Nico Hoerner went 2-for-4 and scored a run.
Chicago trailed 5-1 before Suzuki doubled to bring home Ian Happ in the sixth. Suzuki singled in Hoerner in the eighth, but Dansby Swanson bounced into a double play to end the threat.
Atlanta jumped in front on Olson’s tworun shot with two outs in the first. Olson’s drive went just inside the right-field foul pole.
Michael Harris II added an RBI double for Atlanta in the second, and then scored on a two-out single by Ronald Acuña Jr.
The Braves opened a 5-1 lead in the third when Riley scored on an error by pitcher Javier Assad. It was the 14th error in 19 games for the Cubs and their second of the game.
In Friday’s series opener against the lastplace Nationals, right-handers will start on the mound as Atlanta gives the ball to rookie Allan Winans (1-2, 4.33 ERA) and Washington counters with Trevor Williams (6-10, 5.55).