photo from sfgate.com: Atlanta Braves starter Max Fried (54) delivers a pitch against the San Francisco Giants Saturday at Sun Trust Park in Cobb County GA

By Jeremy Kahn

With the National League East already clinched, the Atlanta Braves are still in the running for the best record in the National League.

After defeating the San Francisco Giants 8-1 at SunTrust Park, the Braves remain within distance of the Los Angeles Dodgers for the record in the NL and home field advantage if the two teams meet in the National League Championship Series.

Max Fried went 5.1 innings of scoreless ball, while Francisco Cervelli and Adam Duvall each hit two-run home runs.

Fried won his 17th game of the season, the most by a Braves pitcher since the 2010 season, when the Giants defeated the Braves in the National League Division Series on their way to their first World Series Championship since 1954.

Tim Hudson, who was a member of the 2014 Giants World Series Championship team was the last Braves player to win 17 games in a season in 2010.

Johnny Cueto made his third start since returning to the starting rotation from Tommy John surgery.

Cueto walked five batters, giving up four runs and two hits in just four innings of work and fell to 1-1 on the season.

Adeiny Hechavarria got the Braves going in the bottom of the second inning, as he hit a two-run double. Cueto walked three in the inning, and Billy Hamilton doubled in a run for the NL East Champion Braves.

Cristian Adames gave the Giants their first run of the weekend, as he drove in a run with a single in the top of the seventh inning.

Cervelli gave the Braves a 6-0 lead in the bottom of the fifth inning, as he slammed a two-run home run off of Dereck Rodriguez.

Sam Coonrod surrendered a two-run home run to Duvall in the bottom of the seventh inning.

NOTES: With the loss, the Giants will not finish above .500 for the third straight season and in manager Bruce Bochys 25th and final season as a major league manager. Bochy came to the Giants in 2007 after 12 seasons with the San Diego Padres.

UP NEXT: Rookie Logan Webb closes out the series and the 2019 road slate, as he takes the mound for the Giants on Sunday afternoon. The Braves will send Dallas Keuchel in their regular season home finale.