The Atlanta Braves clinched the NL East title on Sunday, and then rode two homers by Andrelton Simmons to a 5-2 victory over the Chicago Cubs.
The game was in the sixth inning when Washington lost 4-2 to Miami, giving the Braves their first division crown in eight years. There were a few high-fives in Atlanta's dugout when the Marlins won, and a couple of Braves fans did the tomahawk chop in the stands.
Manager Fredi Gonzalez high-fived a fan as he made his way to the dugout after a lineup change, and the celebration really picked up when Craig Kimbrel finished for his major league-best 49th save. The Braves poured out of the dugout and bullpen and jumped in a circle near the mound before retreating to the cramped visitors' clubhouse at Wrigley Field to continue the party.
"What a great feeling," Gonzalez said. "It really is a great feeling to realize we've played 150-some games to get to this point. We knew early on that the Nationals had lost but we still wanted to be able to celebrate and come out with a win. And we did."
Simmons hit a solo drive in the fourth and a two-run shot in the eighth, giving him 17 homers on the year.
Simmons' second career multihomer game was more than enough run support for Julio Teheran (13-8), who struck out seven over six innings of one-run ball.
The St. Louis Cardinals have clinched a playoff spot for the third straight year.
Washington's 4-2 loss to Miami in a doubleheader opener Sunday assured the Cardinals of at least an NL wild-card berth.
Not that anyone could tell in the Miller Park clubhouse before the Cardinals played Milwaukee on Sunday night. There was no champagne on ice, no victory cigars being lit up.
There's still an NL Central title at stake.
The Reds beat the Pirates earlier Sunday 11-3, leaving both teams 2 1-2 games back of St. Louis going into the Brewers game.
"We're confident. We know we have a good ballclub. Everything's clicking right now," first baseman Matt Adams said. "We're happy but we want to keep taking things day by day and then win the division and then go from there."
Manager Mike Matheny said he learned of the Nationals loss while in the weight room before. There was some chit-chat, and Matheny said he would have a quick conversation about it with his club after Sunday night's game.
The Cardinals clinched the same day Matheny turned 43.
Neither milestone caused much of a stir.
Don't expect the Cardinals to rest their players the final week just because they're in, too.
"Right now, we're nowhere near that," he said. "We've got a lot of baseball to win these next seven games."
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