ATLANTA -- The see-saw National League East has a new champion.
On Tuesday night, the Washington Nationals clinched their second National League East title in three years, the result of a 3-0 win over the Atlanta Braves.
And while nothing can top the novelty of winning the first NL East crown since the franchise (formerly the Montreal Expos) relocated to Washington D.C., the Nationals' legion of players, executives, coaches and fans might derive more pleasure from this accomplishment, since it took place on the soil of previous pennant heartaches: Atlanta's Turner Field.
Even better, it happened with a young and promising roster under first-year manager Matt Williams. The future is bright in Washington as they've established themselves as the top dogs in a division so long dominated by their rivals to the south.
Yes, on the same day the Braves franchise celebrated the groundbreaking ceremony of their new stadium -- SunTrust Park, which is slated to open in 2017 -- the crowd at their current home (Turner Field) was forced to acknowledge a new division champion on so-called enemy turf. The Nationals reached the top of the division pile by posting the NL's best record (36-21) after the All-Star break as they now shift their attention to trying to capture the first pennant in franchise history.
Of course, the Braves fans in attendance to see the on-field celebration likely weren't surprised to see the home bats go silent throughout the night, as Atlanta mustered few rallies against Washington and eventually ceded defeat to a pitching corps led by ultra-reliable starter Tanner Roark (zero runs, four strikeouts, five hits allowed over seven innings). Counting Tuesday, the Braves have scored three runs or less in 85 games this year.
Roark's superb night was no aberration. In just his second year in the majors, the 27-year-old righty notched his 14th victory and kept his seasonal ERA below 3.00.
Braves starter Aaron Harang (eight strikeouts) pitched well on this night, allowing just two walks and five hits over seven solid innings. His only downfall came in the 6th, when shortstop Ian Desmond blasted a 2-2 fastball over the left-field wall, breaking a scoreless tie and instantly putting the locker-room-champagne suppliers on notice:
A party would quickly form in the bowels of the visitors' clubhouse in roughly 80 minutes.
With the division title in hand, the Nationals (87-63) can shift their entire focus to posting the National League's best regular season record, thus earning the No. 1 seed in the NL playoffs. Entering the day, they were holding onto a slim 1/2-game lead over the Los Angeles Dodgers (86-64).
