STL-ATL: Lineups, rosters, FAQ

October 4th, 2019

ATLANTA -- The Cardinals escaped SunTrust Park on Thursday night with a 7-6 victory over the Braves, but that’s not the only reason they feel good about where they stand heading into Game 2 of the National League Division Series.

St. Louis will send ace right-hander Jack Flaherty, coming off an incredible second half, to the mound on Friday with a series lead and a chance to put Atlanta on the brink of elimination before flying back home to Busch Stadium for Game 3 on Sunday. Meanwhile, the Braves will try to even the series behind right-hander Mike Foltynewicz, who finished the season as strong as anyone in Atlanta’s rotation after a six-week stint in Triple-A at midseason.

“Any time you can win on the road in the playoffs, it’s important. Especially Game 1, all the pressure is over [with the Braves],” Matt Carpenter said. “They have to come out and try to find a way to win tomorrow, and we’ve got our ace on the mound.”

Here are some of the questions entering Game 2:

When is the game and how can I watch it?
Game 2 will be today at 4:30 p.m. ET/3:30 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.

• Braves vs. Cards positional breakdown

What do the starting lineups look like?
Cardinals: St. Louis' offense came through with seven runs Thursday night, so manager Mike Shildt didn't change much, only swapping Kolten Wong and Paul DeJong in the lineup.

Braves: Scoring runs wasn’t the issue for Atlanta on Thursday night, as Ronald Acuña Jr. led their lineup with three hits, two RBIs and a 455-foot homer in the ninth inning. With another right-hander starting for the Cardinals and Foltynewicz on the mound, McCann is back behind the plate.

Who are the starting pitchers?
Cardinals: Flaherty (11-8, 2.75 ERA) was the best pitcher in the Majors in the second half of the regular season with a 0.91 ERA. He’s emerged as the Cardinals’ ace and is exactly who they want on the mound with a chance to return to St. Louis 2-0 in the series. To do that, though, Flaherty will need to rely on his strikeouts and limit the Braves’ power.

Braves: Foltynewicz (8-6, 4.54 ERA) responded well after a midseason demotion to Triple-A. In 10 starts after returning to the Majors, nine of which the Braves won, he posted a 2.65 ERA with 55 strikeouts in 57 2/3 innings while holding opponents to a .626 OPS. He gave up eight runs in 4 2/3 innings against the Cardinals at SunTrust Park on May 14, then he fired six innings without allowing an earned run at Busch Stadium on May 24.

How will the bullpens line up after the starter?
Cardinals: St. Louis used seven relievers to cover four innings in Game 1, but all of them got the job done, even though Carlos Martínez gave up three runs in the ninth and made the Cards’ win a little too close for comfort.

Lefties Andrew Miller, Tyler Webb and Génesis Cabrera will be used to get the Braves’ power lefties out. Miller or Giovanny Gallegos could be used as the closer if Martínez is unavailable. Game 4 starter Dakota Hudson is also still available in relief if needed.

Braves: Manager Brian Snitker lined up his relievers exactly the way he wanted in Game 1, only for Chris Martin’s injury and Mark Melancon’s lack of execution to throw a wrench in his plan. Expect Max Fried, who dominated in the seventh inning on Thursday, to play a prominent role if he’s able to pitch on consecutive days.

Perhaps setup man Shane Greene, who did his job in the sixth inning, will pitch later in the game if Melancon is unavailable after throwing 28 pitches. Lefty Sean Newcomb could also play a bigger part due to the Braves’ injuries and heavy bullpen use on Thursday.

Are there any relievers who are unavailable?
Cardinals: Martínez threw 29 pitches over 1 1/3 innings, so he might be limited in his usage. But all the other relievers threw fewer than 15 pitches and should be available.

Braves: Martin is expecting to miss the rest of the series. Otherwise, only Melancon threw more than 17 pitches in the opener.

Any injuries of note?

Cardinals: Wong returned to the lineup after a left hamstring strain and said he felt healthy after Thursday’s game. Other than Michael Wacha, who is dealing with a right shoulder strain and was left off the NLDS roster, the Cards are healthy for Game 2.

Braves: Ender Inciarte (right hamstring), Johan Camargo (right shin fracture) and Charlie Culberson (facial fractures) aren’t on the roster. Martin (left oblique tightness) may be replaced before first pitch. Acuña missed the regular season’s final four games because of a tight left hip, and Freeman’s right elbow has been bothered by a bone spur. Both looked perfectly fine as they homered in Game 1.

Who is hot and who is not?

Cardinals: Flaherty was a big reason St. Louis got to the postseason, and he’ll look to continue his second-half dominance in his first ever postseason game.

Look for Marcell Ozuna to wear his green sleeve again Friday. After not wearing it much all season, he brought it back for the postseason and called it a “catalyst.” He went 2-for-4 with a walk and the go-ahead RBI double Thursday night. Paul Goldschmidt (solo home run) and Carpenter (game-tying single) also came up big for the Cards, and all the starters found their way on base on Thursday.

Braves: Teammates were critical of his baserunning on Thursday night, but there’s no denying the importance of Acuña’s bat after he went 3-for-4 with a walk in Game 1. Freeman also brushed aside concerns about his ailing elbow with his first home run since Sept. 1, a 460-foot blast to center field, as part of a two-hit night. Albies surged through September with a .949 OPS, and Joyce put together a .960 OPS from Aug. 17 through the end of the season. Flaherty was the only pitcher with a lower ERA than the 1.73 mark that Foltynewicz put up after Aug. 23.

Swanson recorded a .552 OPS after returning from the injured list on Aug. 26, and he went 1-for-4 -- the one hit being an infield single -- in the opener. Reliever Luke Jackson was scored upon in six of his final 11 regular-season appearances, and he was charged with two runs in the eighth inning on Thursday.

Anything else fans might want to know?
Game 1 was the 15th meeting between the Cardinals and the Braves in the postseason, but it was their first matchup since the 2012 NL Wild Card Game. St. Louis is now 11-4 in those games, with five victories in a row heading into Game 2.