Well, here we go! The wait is nearly over. Many, including Spencer Strider, have been waiting a year to make amends for an early exit at the hands of Philadelphia in last year’s NLDS.
Striderday will get underway at 6:07 ET/5:07 CT on TBS. Our guy, Jeff Francouer, will be in the booth with some other guy for those of us who can’t be there. All eyes, however, will be on Strider. The Philthies roughed up Strider in his first post-season start, with the infamous Rhys Hoskins bat-slamming episode as Philly get to Strider and eventually advanced.
Braves look to continue dominance
The Braves bounced back throughout the 2023 season and were the best team in baseball this season. Unfortunately, a short, five-game series doesn’t always favor the best team. Instead, the team that gets the best pitching and whose offense gets rolling early is often rewarded. Atlanta is the best first-inning offense – maybe ever – and looks to get rolling early. The Braves won eight of 13 meetings with Philly this year.
Strider is 8-0 lifetime in the regular season against the Philthies, including 4-0 this season. In two September starts against Philly, the young righty through 14 innings, struck out 20 and walked just two. His long real blemish was a three-hun homer by Bryce Harper that came after a long, four-run inning by the Atlanta offense. Strider won 20 games this season and the Braves are 26-6 in games he started.
Shake it up
Manager Brian Snitker is infamous for running the same lineup out there each and every night. That reality makes Atlanta’s lineup for Game One interesting. Ronald Acuña Jr. is in his usual lead-off spot, but Austin Riley is in the two-hole tonight. Matt Olson is up to third with Ozzie Albies batting cleanup.
Surprisingly, or perhaps not surprisingly, shaking up the order is head-scratching. Upon closer inspection, Riley is 6-for-15 with two doubles, a home run, and three walks against Ranger Suarez. Getting Acuña on and scoring him right away is key. Getting runs on the board and getting Riley going early is a pro move by Snitker.
Also, if Riley gets going, look out! The rest of the lineup is filled with the usual suspects, with Kevin Pillar in left-field batting ninth. Suarez is 2-2 versus the Braves with a 3.00 ERA. He is one of the few lefties in baseball to enjoy any success against ATL in the last several years. In his final start of 2023, Suarez allowed nine hits and six runs to the Pirates in 4.2 innings. Let’s hope THAT Ranger shows up today.
Looking ahead
Subsequently, Game Two is set for Monday at 6:07 ET/5:07 CT. Zack Wheeler and Max Fried square off in a marquee matchup of two of the game’s best. Game Three will take place in Philly on Wednesday. Aaron Nola is scheduled for the Philthies. Atlanta’s Game Three starter is depending on how Games One and Two go.
Here we go, friends. Cheer loud and cheer proud. Having a lively chat here throughout Game One can help us manager our anxiety. No gloom and doom voices are necessary tonight.
Sad news
Kyle Wright being left off the NLDS roster was perplexing, but the mid-morning news that Wright is being placed on the 60-Day IL explains things. And if going on the IL wasn’t bad enough, an hour ago we learned Wright is undergoing shoulder surgery and will likely miss 2024.
Tommy Johns are bad. Shoulders can be worse. Sorry, Kyle.
Subbing Pillar for Rosario isn’t a terrible move, but if Suarez has been pulled before Pillar comes to the plate I won’t be all that upset.
Drinking to start soon. Until further notice, I’m going with Widow Jane 10 Year.
Shoulders can be worse! He may be cooked.
I had one while I wrote the game thread and thought I should maybe slow down so I can enjoy chasing Suarez before Pillar comes to the plate. 😂😂
I’m one Maker’s Mark in before first pitch. I’ll start the game in a better frame of mind.
Here’s to a dominant Snidely Whiplash effort, plus a handful of round-trippers.
The 6:07-to-10:30 slot might have me breaking out the bourbon myself. Nothing too special, Old Forester.
Go Braves, go Dogs.
Nothing wrong with Old Forester! Truth be told, I’d prefer it to Maker’s.
If the Braves lose this series or don’t go on to win the WS, I will still consider this year to have been a resounding success, just because of how incredibly dominant they were for a full 162 game season.
That being said, beating a Phillies team that finished 14 games behind us and that is clearly the inferior team would sure be sweet. Anything can happen in the postseason, but it only seems right.
I agree. I’m really trying to manage expectations because of how dominant we’ve been all season long.
That was an amazing double play! To end the top of the first!
Schwarber is as good a base runner as he is leftfielder
that was p bad. (Schwarber’s baserunning)
Eat it Alec Bohm!
I think we’d be good friends!
Nice escape, fellas…
Let’s put a whoopin’ on Suarez.
EDIT: Thanks for those extra outs on the bases, Phils. Much appreciated.
Strider not real sharp so far
Close play, but definitively out? I don’t think so.
I think he was out and don’t have a big problem with them overturning that, but I don’t think I saw evidence clear and convincing enough to overturn. I think he was probably out, though, so it’s tough to complain.
This is exactly where I am.
It’s a matchup game, and Ranger Suarez looks like peak Cy Young against this team.
Let’s see how we do second time thru against Cy Suarez
So far, the Braves have been so NOT clutch. Leaving the bases full and 2/3 full is not getting anything done.
The standard the umps generally use was not employed there. Probably out or might have been out is not what made Alec Bohm safe. These guys are absolute brain dead zombie clowns
Well to be fair, they shouldn’t be using the standard (if you wanna call it that) that made Bohm safe and they haven’t been for awhile.
Oh ok, so change it in the playoffs. What an absurd take
They’ve been using this standard all of the last two years…at least. The Bohm play is pretty much the last big one that I can remember where they used the “try to find a way to make the field umpire right” standard.
This team looks tighter than the strings on a tennis racquet.
Absolutely stupid play by Strider costs us a run. With an 0-2 count and 2 outs…
And Harper was three feet off the bag. Bone-head play – and Jeff McNeill Jr slaps the 0-2 pitch into left. Arrrrgggghhh!
Nothing a few runs this inning won’t cure. Top of the order coming up. They’ve had a look at Ranger–time to start barreling the ball.
The second time through the order vs. Suarez is starting out than the first.
Now if they turn around and uphold this, you may throw your tomatoes.
Let the overmanaging begin!!!
Wow–glad to see Suarez leaving
Gutted for Wright. I forget whether there was any interest, but I guess I’m glad for the team’s budget that AA didn’t give him a long-term contract after last season. Still wonder about the one to Strider, but he’s certainly looked good so far.
Here you lose. Braves aren’t advancing. Losers
Can we ban this one?
Taking out Suarez is moronic but thank heavens
I understand Thompson wanting the Hoffman-Ozuna matchup, but the Braves did not have a single hard hit ball off Suarez. And now our lefty gets to hit against a righty with the bases loaded.
Newfangled baseball – they got out of it there. But Suarez could have worked another three innings. I’m glad he’s gone – I like our chances without him, Money Mike fanning not withstanding.
Losers! Just like last year. Why ever bother to play the big boys?
Hang with us, buddy!
Cleanup on the troll aisle
Time for some clutchness…
Oh wait none. Go home Losers
I almost fed the troll just now, but then realized there is nothing to be gained there.
Let’s rough up Seranthony!
Four more frames to score 2 or 3… very do-able.
Waiting for the big inning. It’s coming.
Lol go home! We are unstoppable
Glad the reward to having the best record is to sit out for a week and lose the rhythm you build over six months.
Hibernation Mode came without the runs at the start this time. The Phillies are our dad.
Braves offense is obviously off so far tonight. Good news is that Alvarado, Dominguez, and Hoffman have already been used, and the Phils still need to get nine outs.
Three more cracks at ‘em! Let’s go bats…
If you take a huge swing at a pitchers pitch on 2-0 (Rosario) with Acuña on deck, it doesn’t matter who the pitcher is. This reminds me of the 1998 NLCS.
Truth right here!
And we’re in a spot here with first and third with one out…
At least a of the curve balls were in the exact same spot
that is NOT catcher’s interference
Not catching any breaks tonight.
Murphy clearly thought it was catcher’s interference, so I’m pretty sure it must’ve been. It sure didn’t look like it on the video, though.
Exactly this.
What did you see that indicated Murphy thought it was catcher’s interference? All I saw him do was reach for another ball. Francouer keeps saying the same thing, but I can’t see what he’s talking about.
So THAT’s how it’s gonna be.
Congrats, Phillies. MLB has decided it wants LA-Philly. It is ordained.
The fact that our offense this entire game looks so unfamiliar to me says so much about our mindset coming in. We look so tight. Almost nervous. Whether it’s the long break for the bye, or the highest of expectations, or the memory of last postseason – we just are not ourselves.
Brian Anderson may be right that the throwing of cans onto the field is ill advised. But he is absolutely wrong to bring up the wild card game against the Cardinals as a similar event. The infield fly call was one of the worst in the history of the game.
Also, Frenchy is off base in repeatedly citing to Murphy’s reaction as confirmation of interference. I read his reaction as frustration at the ump’s call, NOT as agreeing that he was guilty..
Agree on both counts, tfloyd
I agree that the umps were bad. Nonetheless, the Braves haven’t helped themselves at the plate one bit.
Scoring zero runs in a bullpen game is an epic choke.
Boy if this isn’t a Braves playoff game
Yet not surprising
We just simply don’t deserve it tonight. Getting our butts kicked.
Well, we’ve hit two liners to the shortstop in critical situations. If they are 5 feet to the right, you are talking about what a clutch performance this was
Zero clutch hitting tonight.
Murphy’s reaction wasn’t nearly incredulous enough if he didn’t think he committed catcher’s interference. And also, you could read his lips as he was telling the next batter that he felt it hit his glove.
I think he was convinced because JT was
Well, if that’s what he said that’s pretty conclusive. In any event, it’s the failure to score that’s the story of the game.
I blame Trea Turner.
That was disappointing, y’all! Go get ‘em tomorrow. I’m hoping for better ABs against Wheeler.
Not gonna score any runs off Wheeler tomorrow. I 100% guarantee that.
Dodgers down 6-0. Wonder how long until someone realizes it is a disadvantage to sit for 5 days. This isn’t football. Would’ve loved to be in the conference room where a bunch of smug elites decided this format was a good idea.
It hasn’t been a disadvantage for the Astros the last 2 years…
Get ’em Monday & even things up.
Recapped.