The Atlanta Braves secured a playoff berth Friday night, beating the Houston Astros 6-2 for their eighth postseason appearance in nine years. The victory gave Atlanta at least a National League wild card and reduced their magic number to three for winning the NL East.

Michael Harris II, Ronald Acuña Jr. and Matt Olson each hit two-run homers. The Braves hold a five-game lead over the Philadelphia Phillies with eight games remaining after Philadelphia lost to the Mets.

First-year manager Walt Weiss downplayed the achievement. "Everything you get in this league is earned," Weiss said. Harris added: "We've got our eyes on bigger and better things. We're trying to win the East."

The Braves reached 90 wins for the fifth time in eight full seasons. Atlanta's return comes after a disappointing 2025 campaign where they went 76-86 and finished fourth, snapping seven straight playoff appearances. If Atlanta wins the division, it will be their seventh NL East title in nine years.