The Atlanta Braves take on the Los Angeles Dodgers on Tuesday in Game Two of the National League Championship Series. The series got off to a rousing start on Monday, as the two best teams in the National League staged an instant classic. If the rest of the series follows suit, we are in for a great NLCS. The Braves outlasted the Dodgers in Game One on Monday by a score of 5-1.
*(Clayton Kershaw has been scratched tonight due to back spasms. Tony Gonsolin will start instead)
Braves take series lead
The Atlanta Braves’ bats were relatively silent for the first eight innings of Game One of the NLCS, but they came alive in a big way in the ninth inning to break the game open and take the 1-0 series lead. Held to just one run on four hits, including a Freddie Freeman home run, in the first eight innings, the Braves exploded for four runs on four hits, including two home runs, in the ninth inning. Austin Riley led off the inning with the tie-breaking home run, while Ozzie Albies hit a two-run shot to conclude the scoring. Albies and Marcell Ozuna both had two hits in the game for Atlanta, while Max Fried pitched six innings, giving up just one run on four hits and striking out nine batters. Three relievers combined to pitch three perfect innings to finish off the win.
”I just took a deep breath and told myself to stay inside this baseball as much as you can,” Riley said of his game-winner in a postgame interview on Fox TV, “and I was able to put a pretty good swing on it.”
The Braves remained undefeated in this year’s postseason, as they have gone 6-0, while giving up a total of just six runs in the playoffs. Travis d’Arnaud went 1-4 on Monday, which dropped his postseason average to .391. Atlanta’s pitching staff, who had a 4.41 ERA in the regular season, has just a 0.93 ERA in the postseason. The Braves bullpen has been lights out in the playoffs, giving up just one run in 23.1 innings for a 0.39 ERA.
Ian Anderson takes the ball for the Braves in Game Two on Tuesday. He was 3-2 during the regular season with a minuscule 1.95 ERA in six starts. The rookie sensation has been phenomenal in the postseason, pitching 11.2 scoreless innings, giving up just five hits in his two starts in the playoffs and striking out 17 batters. In his eight total starts (including the playoffs), he has given up more than one earned run just twice. He has given up just one home run, and that was in his Major League debut on August 26 against the New York Yankees.
Dodgers bullpen blows Game One
The Los Angeles Dodgers matched the Braves for the first eight innings, but Blake Treinen could get just one out in the ninth inning, as he gave up three runs on three hits to get the loss, and the Dodgers lost their first game in this year’s playoffs. Kike Hernandez, making his first start of the postseason, hit a solo home run for Los Angeles’ only run of the game, while Walker Buehler pitched five innings and gave up one run on three hits as he struck out seven and walked five batters.
“Their energy was a little bit better than ours tonight,” Hernández said on foxsports.com. “They came right out of the gates. We’ll throw this one away and come back tomorrow with a fresh mind.”
Despite an 0-4 performance on Monday, Mookie Betts is still leading the Dodgers in hitting during the postseason with a .304 batting average. Los Angeles’ pitchers have a 2.50 ERA this postseason, while their bullpen has given up eight runs in 26 innings in the playoffs.
Future Hall of Famer Clayton Kershaw goes to the mound on Tuesday for the Dodgers. He had another brilliant season with a 6-2 record, a 2.16 ERA, and a 0.84 WHIP. He is 2-0 in this year’s postseason with a 1.93 ERA, but he has not pitched well in his career in the postseason. In 34 games (27 starts) in the postseason in his career, Kershaw is just 11-11 (.500) with a 4.57 ERA. However, Kershaw won't go tonight due to back spasms and right-hander Tony Gonsolin (2.31 ERA0 will take his place.
Notable Trends
Trends found on covers.com:
- The Dodgers are 5-1 in their last six playoff games as a favorite
- The Dodgers are 36-16 in their last 52 games versus Atlanta
- The Braves are 7-21 in their last 28 games as the road team versus the Los Angeles Dodgers
