Braves Rally Past Cubs 6-3 Behind Late Homers From Acuña, Albies and Baldwin

Atlanta Overcomes Three-Run Deficit as Cubs Loss

The Atlanta Braves rallied from a three-run deficit with a trio of late two-run homers, as Ronald Acuña Jr., Ozzie Albies and Drake Baldwin powered a 6-3 victory over the Chicago Cubs on Tuesday night.

The loss officially clinched the National League Central title for the Milwaukee Brewers for the fourth consecutive season. Chicago, meanwhile, remained in a tight race for the National League’s top wild-card position.

The Cubs fell to 84-68 but maintained a half-game lead over the Philadelphia Phillies, who entered the night at 83-68. Atlanta improved to 89-63 and expanded its lead in the NL East to 5½ games over Philadelphia.

Cubs Take Early Control

Chicago jumped in front early and appeared to be in position to protect its lead behind a strong outing from starter Kevin Gausman.

Pedro Ramirez delivered an RBI single in the second inning to put the Cubs on the board. Chicago added two more runs in the fourth when shortstop Mauricio Dubón committed a run-scoring throwing error before Miguel Amaya followed with a sacrifice fly.

Gausman then settled into a dominant stretch, retiring 16 of his first 18 batters and keeping Atlanta’s lineup quiet for much of the middle innings. The Braves, however, gradually began chipping away.

Braves Late-Inning Power Surge

Atlanta finally broke through in the sixth inning when Acuña launched a home run off Gausman, cutting Chicago’s advantage to 3-2 and giving the Braves renewed momentum.

Martín Pérez helped keep Atlanta within striking distance. The veteran left-hander allowed three runs, two earned, on five hits and four walks over six innings, giving the Braves an opportunity to complete the comeback. Atlanta took advantage one inning later.

Albies Delivers at Wrigley Field

Ozzie Albies connected off Cubs reliever Jacob Webb in the seventh inning, sending a two-run homer out of Wrigley Field to give Atlanta its first lead of the night at 4-3.

The blast continued Albies’ success at the historic ballpark. It was his eighth home run in just 23 career games at Wrigley Field. The Braves then added another insurance punch in the ninth.

Baldwin Puts the Game Away

Drake Baldwin crushed a two-run homer off Edward Cabrera in the ninth inning, extending Atlanta’s lead to 6-3 and putting the game out of reach. Raisel Iglesias then closed out the victory with a perfect ninth inning for his 33rd save in 36 opportunities.

The Braves’ comeback marked another late-game rally for a team that continues to strengthen its position atop the NL East as the regular season approaches its conclusion.

Playoff Race Tightens

Atlanta’s victory gave the Braves an important five-and-a-half-game cushion over Philadelphia in the NL East with only a handful of games remaining. For Chicago, the defeat was costly beyond the individual game.

The Cubs’ loss clinched Milwaukee’s fourth consecutive NL Central championship, while Chicago remains focused on securing the top NL wild-card position. The Cubs entered the night just a half-game ahead of the Phillies in that race, making every remaining game increasingly important as the postseason approaches.

Next Game Wednesday Night: Imanaga and Ritchie Set to Start

The Cubs and Braves will meet again Wednesday night in the second game of the series. Chicago will send left-hander Shota Imanaga to the mound. Imanaga enters with a 10-10 record and a 3.88 ERA.

Atlanta will counter with rookie right-hander JR Ritchie, who is 1-2 with a 4.50 ERA. With both teams firmly in the National League playoff picture, Wednesday’s matchup will carry plenty of postseason significance as the regular season winds down.