What's ahead? Braves postseason FAQ
NEW YORK -- The Braves will now prepare for their National League Division Series against the Cardinals. This will be the fifth time the two teams have met in the postseason. The most recent occasion was the 2012 NL Wild Card Game, which Atlanta fans infamously remember as the Infield Fly Game.
“We’re ready to roll,” Braves catcher Brian McCann said. “It’s going to be fun. Playoff time is who executes the best wins the game. I’m confident in everybody. We’ve got all the phases of the game covered. We can beat you in a lot of different ways. It’s going to be fun.”
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What is the NLDS schedule?
The Braves will host Games 1 and 2 of the best-of-five NLDS on Thursday and Friday. The series will shift to St. Louis for Game 3 (Sunday, Oct. 6) and Game 4 (Monday, Oct. 7, if necessary). If the series goes the distance, Game 5 would be played back at SunTrust Park on Wednesday, Oct. 9.
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Rotation plans?
Because the Cards did not clinch the NL Central before Sunday, they were forced to use Jack Flaherty in their regular-season finale. So the right-hander, who has a 0.93 ERA over his past 16 starts, will not be available before Game 2.
Dallas Keuchel was announced as Atlanta's Game 1 starter, and he could match up against Miles Mikolas. Keuchel did not face the Cards this year. Mikolas allowed three runs over seven innings in a May 24 loss against Atlanta. He was doomed by back-to-back homers hit by Dansby Swanson and Freddie Freeman to begin the sixth inning.
| 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: Injury concerns
The bench grew much thinner over the past few weeks, when Charlie Culberson was lost for the season with multiple facial fractures and Johan Camargo suffered a hairline fracture of his right shin. Like Gold Glove center fielder Ender Inciarte (right hamstring), Camargo will not be available for the NLDS.
Freeman spent four days this past week resting his right elbow, which has been bothered by a bone spur. The rest was not a sufficient remedy. But Freeman played throughout this past weekend’s series against the Mets and will hope the elbow proves to be less bothersome throughout the postseason.
Ronald Acuña Jr. will also be back in Atlanta’s lineup for Game 1. Acuña missed the final four games of the regular season after tweaking a muscle located between his left hip and groin.
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The Cardinals could be without second baseman Kolten Wong and right-handed pitcher Michael Wacha. Wong suffered a Grade 2 hamstring strain on Sept. 19. He hasn’t been ruled out of the NLDS. But this is the same injury that has sidelined Inciarte since Aug. 16. Wacha is not expected to test his sore right shoulder until later this week.
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How did the Braves fare against the Cardinals?
The Braves won four of the six games played against the Cardinals this season. Each of the games was played in May, when St. Louis was scuffling and Atlanta was just beginning the surge that resulted in a second consecutive NL East title.
Even though the Braves lost five of the seven games they played after clinching the division, they still finished with the NL’s third-best record (67-38) dating back to June 1. The Cards owned the fourth-best record (63-43) within this same span.
“If we play our best and do what we do, then we’ve got a really good chance to be successful,” Swanson said. “We’ve got to focus more on what we do than everything else. I think that’s how we’ve looked at it and I think that’s something that has served us well this season.”