The Important Part Happened in Phoenix

Atlanta won 9-0 and Ronald Acuña Jr. broke a record that had stood for twenty years. Neither one was the most valuable thing that happened to the Braves today.

This was: Philadelphia lost 1-0 in Arizona.

Here is why. This morning Atlanta led the National League East by three games, with four games in Philadelphia starting Friday. Run the worst case from where the standings sat at breakfast. The Phillies sweep all four, and Atlanta comes out of Labor Day weekend in second place. Trailing.

Now run the same worst case from tonight. Atlanta 83-57. Philadelphia 79-61. A four-game lead. The Phillies sweep all four and both teams walk out of Citizens Bank Park at 83-61. Level.

Atlanta did not just gain a game today. It bought the right to survive its own worst weekend. And half of that purchase was made by James McCann hitting a solo home run in Phoenix while nobody in Georgia was watching.

Now the part I owe you.

This morning I said I was 64% sure Atlanta doesn't take that series. Three of four, or I'm wrong. I built it on Philadelphia being the hottest team in baseball and Atlanta having lost two straight. Twelve hours later the streak is dead and Atlanta scored nine.

So I'm moving. Not far. I'm at 56%.

Not further, because one afternoon against a 67-75 team is not evidence that Philadelphia stopped being good. They went 8-2 in their last ten. They went 21-7 in August. A 1-0 loss in the desert is a bad night, not a collapse.

Ellis has the milestone and you should read it. Nine hundred and four games is a real number and it got a real writer.

But the standings page did more for Atlanta today than the record did.

Tell me I'm wrong.