Freddie Freeman knew this year would be different than any of the previous four, but he certainly didn't have a feel for the tremendous satisfaction he and his Braves teammates would actually feel six months after he exited Spring Training wondering, "Why not us?"
Nearly 30 years after creating the improbable worst-to-first 1991 season, the Braves staged yet another unexpected celebration after clinching the National League East with Saturday afternoon's 5-3 win over the Phillies at SunTrust Park. The champagne shower proved to be extra sweet for Freeman, Nick Markakis and manager Brian Snitker, who all experienced the painful portion of the massive rebuild that began four years ago.
"This group of guys [has] been relentless throughout the whole year," Markakis said. "It showed, and it paid off. I couldn't be more proud of these guys. It's an honor to be a part of this team and go out there and grind every day with these guys."
Coming off four consecutive losing seasons, the Braves are division champs for the first time since 2013 and the second time since '05. They sat at the top of the division standings for much of the season's first half, stumbled in July and then regained sole possession of first place for good on Aug. 13. They had lost 14 of their past 18 home games before delivering the dagger by winning each of the first three games of this four-game set against the second-place Phillies.
