Atlanta Braves first team to reach 30 wins this season
The Atlanta Braves keep finding new ways to win. It’s all added up to being the first team in the big leagues to 30 victories. The Braves improved MLB’s top record to 30-13 with another thrilling win Wednesday night, scoring three runs in the eighth inning to beat the Chicago Cubs 4-1 .
[DOWNLOAD: Free WSB-TV News app for alerts as news breaks ] Mike Yastrzemski came the bench to contribute a pinch-hit double that drove in the tie-breaking run, and jack-of-all-trades Mauricio Dubón followed with a two-run homer into the Chicago bullpen that finished off the Cubs. Throw in another stout performance by the bullpen, which got one scoreless inning apiece from four relievers, and this team is threatening to run away with the NL East before the calendar turns to summer. The Braves are up by nine games on second-place Washington and have a double-figure margin over everyone else in the division.
“There’s no egos here,” said Yastrzemski, who contributed his first homer of the season the previous night in a 5-2 victory over the Cubs. “Nobody feels like they own any piece of this team. We’re all pulling on the same rope together, the same direction.
Whatever opportunities come for you that day, that’s good enough. ” While stars such as Matt Olson, Drake Baldwin , Chris Sale and Ozzie Albies are having big years, some lesser-known players are also having a significant impact. That includes Dubón, who was acquired from Houston over the winter for journeyman Nick Allen and has filled in whenever needed.
[SIGN UP: WSB-TV Daily Headlines Newsletter ] Dubón started the season at shortstop while Ha-Seong Kim recovered from an injury but now is largely playing the outfield, even taking the leadoff role in the lineup while former NL MVP Ronald Acuña Jr. is on the injured list. The clinching homer showed how much faith the Braves and their first-year manager, Walt Weiss, have in their utility ace.