ATLANTA — Ronald Acuña Jr. was pumped to join a very exclusive club.
He’s even more thrilled about the chance to properly celebrate a division title.
Acuña became the second-youngest player in baseball history to hit 40 homers in a season, Freddie Freeman also drove in two runs and the Atlanta Braves clinched at least a tie for first place in the NL East with a 5-4 victory over the Philadelphia Phillies on Thursday.
“That’s the most exciting thing up to this point,” Acuña said through a translator. “That’s what we’re all looking for. I think for all of us, it’s just come out with that same energy, that same enthusiasm, get that win and hopefully celebrate. That’s something we’re all looking forward to.”
With eight games left in the regular season, a second straight division title seems a formality for the Braves. They hold a 9½-game lead over the Washington Nationals, who have played three fewer games and were off Thursday.
The Braves can officially let loose as soon as Friday with either a victory over the San Francisco Giants or if Washington loses at Miami.
After winning the first two games of the series, Philadelphia’s postseason hopes took another blow. The Phillies came into the day trailing both Milwaukee and the Chicago Cubs by three games for the NL’s second wild-card spot.
Acuña’s historic homer came with a flourish. He launched a 432-foot drive into the second deck at SunTrust Park, standing at home plate to admire his shot off Aaron Nola before tossing the bat away and slowly rounding the bases.
Mel Ott, who was 20 when he hit 42 homers for the New York Giants in 1940, is the only player younger than Acuña to post a 40-homer season.
MILWAUKEE — Lorenzo Cain homered before exiting with a sore ankle, Milwaukee pitchers combined to strike out 16 and the Brewers improved their playoff position by beating San Diego.
The Brewers are 7-2 since reigning NL MVP Christian Yelich broke his right kneecap on a foul ball.
Milwaukee moved within one game of Washington for the top NL wild-card spot. The Brewers began the day tied with Chicago for the second wild-card slot and three games behind Central-leading St. Louis — the Cardinals played the Cubs later in the day.
PITTSBURGH — Shed Long had three hits and scored the go-ahead run in the 11th on an unusual inning-ending double play as Seattle beat Pittsburgh.
Long reached base on first baseman Jose Osuna’s error to start the 11th and Omar Narvaez singled with one out to put runners on the corners. Austin Nola then hit a chopper to second baseman Kevin Kramer — rather than flip the ball to second, he ran at Narvaez, who alertly stopped and began to retreat.
Kramer then threw to first, and Narvaez was eventually tagged in a 4-3-6-2 rundown as Long scored.
Kramer likely would’ve had no chance to throw home at the start to get Long.
Long also drove in two runs.
Pittsburgh’s Jake Elmore had three hits and two RBIs.
Brandon Brennan (3-6) pitched one scoreless inning and rookie Erik Swanson worked around a walk in the 11th for his first career save. Clay Holmes (1-2) took the loss, though the winning run was unearned.
Mariners left-handed Yusei Kikuchi lasted four innings in what figures to be his next-to-last start of the season, allowing four runs and eight hits with one strikeout and one walk.
Signed from Japan to a three-year, $43-million contract in the offseason, Kikuchi has made 31 starts and pitched 155 2/3 innings. He is 6-10 with 5.55 ERA.
Pirates starter Joe Musgrove gave up four runs — two earned — and five hits in five innings. He struck out six and walked two.
Seattle tied the score at 5-all in the seventh on Nola’s two-out single after Elmore put Pittsburgh ahead 5-4 in the fifth with an RBI single.
Both teams had four-run second innings.
Long’s two-run single capped the Mariners’ half in which Braden Bishop hit an RBI single and another run scored on shortstop Cole Tucker’s throwing error. The Pirates got run-scoring doubles from Elias Diaz, Elmore and Musgrove before Kevin Newman capped the inning with an RBI single.
Elmore’s hit snapped a 0-for-19 skid.
PARTIAL DAY OFF
Three of the Mariners’ starting infielders — 2B Dee Gordon, 3B Kyle Seager and SS J.P. Crawford — were not in the starting lineup for a day game following a night game. However, Gordon and Seager were used as pinch-hitters then remained in the game.
UP NEXT
Mariners: Open a three-game series at Baltimore on Friday night with RHP Felix Hernandez (1-6, 6.31 ERA) scheduled to face RHP Chandler Shepherd (0-0, 4.91). Hernandez’s lone win came in his first start of the season April 1 against the Los Angeles Angels.
Pirates: LHP Steven Brault (4-5, 4.98) will start against Brewers RHP Chase Anderson (6-4, 4.50) on Friday night in the first game of a three-game series at Milwaukee. Brault is 1-4 with a 6.17 ERA in his past eight starts, including giving up 10 runs in 2 2/3 innings to the Chicago Cubs in his last outing Sept 13.
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