MILWAUKEE (AP)Freddie Freeman and the Atlanta Braves left spring training with high hopes following three straight NL East titles.
Then star outfielder Ronald Acuna Jr. tore the ACL in his right knee, and it fell on the front office to get underwhelming Atlanta the help it needed.
The Braves hadn’t been above .500 all season when general manager Alex Anthopoulos essentially acquired an entirely new outfield at the trade deadline. Those moves helped Atlanta surge to another NL East crown and a Division Series matchup starting Friday with the NL Central championMilwaukee Brewers, who benefited from their own roster adjustments.