Atlanta, GA – The Atlanta Braves are set to ignite their final regular season homestand as they face off against the Chicago Cubs in a three-game series at Truist Park, starting on Tuesday.

 

Fresh off a successful four-game stint in Washington where they clinched their 100th victory of the season, the Braves are looking to secure home field advantage throughout the postseason, with their magic number dwindling to just three.

However, amid their triumphs, there have been some setbacks for the Braves. Star pitchers Max Fried and Charlie Morton both landed on the injured list within the past week.

 

Fried, despite pitching admirably in his last outing, continued to grapple with a bothersome blister on his index finger, resulting in his placement on the injured list on September 22. He is slated to return in time for the Division Series. On the other hand, Morton, nursing a sprained index finger, will miss the entirety of the Division Series but may potentially rejoin the team for the NLCS, provided the Braves advance.

 

In recent days, the Braves achieved several significant milestones. Ronald Acuña Jr. bolstered his MVP candidacy by becoming only the fifth player in baseball history to join the 40/40 club. He has set a historic precedent by being the first player to amass 40 home runs and 60 stolen bases in a single season, with just two more steals needed to achieve 40/70. Matt Olson also etched his name in the record books by surpassing Andruw Jones’ single-season home run record with 53 homers. Furthermore, he surpassed Gary Sheffield’s Atlanta-era record for RBIs in a season with his 133rd. Collectively, the Braves have smashed 299 home runs, trailing the 2019 Minnesota Twins by a mere eight home runs for the all-time record.

 

This series carries tremendous weight for the Cubs, who are battling for one of the remaining playoff spots in the National League. Currently, they are locked in a tie with the Diamondbacks for the second wild card position and hold a slim 1.0-game lead over the Miami Marlins. The Cubs are on a three-game winning streak but have posted a modest 4-6 record in their last ten games. Back in August, they managed to take two of three games from the Braves during a series at Wrigley Field.

 

In addition to the playoff implications, this series marks the return of shortstop Dansby Swanson to Atlanta. Swanson inked a lucrative seven-year, $177 million contract with the Cubs during the past offseason after expressing a desire to remain in Atlanta. He has delivered a solid performance this season, boasting a .250/.330/.427 slash line with 22 home runs and a 106 wRC+ across 142 games, leading the Cubs with 4.9 fWAR.