ATL-STL: Lineups, matchups, FAQ (TBS)
After the Cardinals and Braves split the first two games of the series in Atlanta, October baseball will make its return to St. Louis for Games 3 and 4 on Sunday and Monday.
The Cardinals will send veteran Adam Wainwright to the mound with his 2.56 ERA at Busch Stadium this season and plenty of postseason experience behind him. The Braves will counter with rookie right-hander Michael Soroka, who has a 1.55 ERA on the road in 2019.
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When is the game and how can I watch it?
| Game | Date | Result | Highlights |
|---|---|---|---|
| Gm 1 | Oct. 3 | STL 7, ATL 6 | Watch |
| Gm 2 | Oct. 4 | ATL 3, STL 0 | Watch |
| Gm 3 | Oct. 6 | ATL 3, STL 1 | Watch |
| Gm 4 | Oct. 7 | STL 5, ATL 4 (10) | Watch |
| Gm 5 | Oct. 9 | STL 13, ATL 1 | Watch |
Shop for postseason gear: Game 3 will be at Busch Stadium on Sunday at 4 p.m. ET/3 p.m. CT on TBS.
All games telecast on MLB Network, TBS, FOX and FS1 will be available to MLB.TV subscribers who are authenticated subscribers to the applicable network through a participating pay TV provider.
What are the starting lineups?
Braves: Wainwright is going to provide a heavy dose of curveballs. This is good news for Ronald Acuña Jr., who hit .368 and slugged .798 against right-handed curveballs this season and bats leadoff on Sunday.
1) Ronald Acuña Jr., CF
2) Ozzie Albies, 2B
3) Freddie Freeman, 1B
4) Josh Donaldson, 3B
5) Nick Markakis, LF
6) Matt Joyce, RF
7) Brian McCann, C
8) Dansby Swanson, SS
9) Mike Soroka, RHP
Cardinals: Matt Carpenter's production, plus his lefty bat vs. Atlanta righty Soroka, gave him the edge over Harrison Bader in Sunday's lineup.
1) Dexter Fowler, CF
2) Kolten Wong, 2B
3) Paul Goldschmidt, 1B
4) Marcell Ozuna, LF
5) Yadier Molina, C
6) Matt Carpenter, 3B
7) Tommy Edman, RF
8) Paul DeJong, SS
9) Adam Wainwright, RHP
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Who are the starting pitchers?
Braves: Soroka (13-4, 2.68 ERA) will be making his first career postseason start and attempting to show why the Braves opted to not turn to him him in either of the first two games at SunTrust Park. The 22-year-old right-hander posted a 4.14 ERA at home and a 1.55 ERA on the road. In the Divisional Era (since 1969), the only pitchers to produce a better road ERA were Greg Maddux (1.12 in '95) and Roger Clemens (1.32 in 2005).
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Cardinals: Wainwright (14-10, 4.19 ERA) will make his 13th postseason start on Sunday and 25th appearance overall. He has a 3.03 ERA in the playoffs, including a 1.72 mark at Busch Stadium. This year, Wainwright has a 2.56 ERA at home, far better than his 6.22 ERA on the road.
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How will the bullpens line up after the starter?
Braves: Closer Mark Melancon threw more than 20 pitches in each of the first two games. But after having a chance to rest during Saturday’s off-day, he will be available in Game 3. The Braves have found a new bullpen weapon in Max Fried, who was dominant in his one-inning stints in the first two games. As shown in Game 1, manager Brian Snitker might use setup man Shane Greene earlier than the eighth if there is a need to get through the right-handed-heavy middle of St. Louis’ lineup.
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Cardinals: The bullpen will be well-rested on Sunday after only left-hander Tyler Webb was used on Friday and the off-day on Saturday. Webb, Andrew Miller and Génesis Cabrera will be the left-handed options, while Giovanny Gallegos will continue to be the Cardinals' go-to reliever in high-leverage situations. Closer Carlos Martínez will be ready to go after throwing 29 pitches on Thursday night.
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Are there any relievers who are unavailable?
Braves: After Chris Martin sustained a left oblique strain in Game 1, the Braves added Julio Teheran to their roster. He will be in the bullpen. But because he might need to start Game 4, the Braves will only use him if necessary.
Cardinals: Dakota Hudson will move back to the dugout and prepare for his start on Monday for Game 4. He could have been used out of the bullpen in Games 1 or 2, but he wasn’t needed.
Any injuries of note?
Braves: Ender Inciarte (right hamstring), Johan Camargo (right shin fracture) Charlie Culberson (facial fractures) and Martin aren’t on the roster. Concerns about Acuña (tight left hip) and Freeman (right elbow bone spur) have lessened. Acuña has recorded an extra-base hit in both games, while Freeman homered in Game 1.
Cardinals: Michael Wacha is still dealing with a right shoulder strain that kept him off the NLDS roster. Wong pushed any injury concerns aside after going 2-for-8 with two RBIs in the first two games of this series.
Who is hot and who is not?
Braves: Acuña has gone 4-for-8 with two doubles and a homer through the first two games. Adam Duvall has recorded two hits, including a homer, in both of his pinch-hit plate appearances. Including the series, Joyce has batted .364 with a .991 OPS against right-handed pitchers dating back to Aug. 17.
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Cardinals: Ozuna leads the Cardinals with four hits over this series’ first two games. He and Molina were the only two to post multi-hit games in Friday’s Game 2 shutout. There was talk afterwards about the struggles of Bader, who struck out thrice in three at-bats on Friday, all on breaking pitches. Soroka is a righty who lives and dies with his slider at times. Don’t be surprised if Shildt opts for the platoon advantage and starts Carpenter in Bader’s place. Carpenter’s first start of the postseason would likely push Edman to right field and Fowler to center.
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