Anderson gets playoff victory
Shenendehowa graduate Ian Anderson allows two hits in six innings to lead the Braves past the Reds./
Shenendehowa graduate Ian Anderson was only 3 years old the last time the Atlanta Braves had won a playoff series.
The Braves ended that 19-year drought Thursday afternoon, led by Anderson, a rookie pitcher who continues to perform beyond his years.
In his first postseason start, Anderson threw six shutout innings and struck out nine in a 5-0 victory over the Cincinnati Reds at Truist Park in
Cumberland, Ga., that completed a two-game sweep of their National League Wild Card Series.
“I think that maybe just growing up as a huge baseball fan, just always watching baseball and dreaming about where you want to be, and that’s obviously in this position,” said Anderson,
22, in a Zoom call when asked what prepared him for big moments. “Once I’m actually here and in the position, just trying to make the most of it.”
The Braves had lost 10 straight postseason series or wild-card games dating to 2001. They’ll play either the Cubs or Marlins in a Division Series in Houston starting Tuesday.
After the game, Anderson sent a text message to his father, Bob, who was watching the game at home in Rexford with a small group of family and friends.
“He said that’s the most fun he’s ever had on a baseball field, so that was kind of nice to see,” Bob Anderson said. “He’s pumped up.”
Mixing his mid-90s fastball with a sharp curveball and devastating changeup, Anderson allowed two hits while throwing 99 pitches, 65 for strikes. He got out of his only jam when he induced Tucker Barnhart into a forceout at second with the bases loaded to end the second inning.
Anderson retired 13 of the final 14 batters he faced.
“That’s kind of been my thing this year, I guess so far,” he said. “I have one inning where I really have to battle and grind through it and just the confidence you get from that just kind of propels you through the rest of the outing.”
The Reds, who were last in the majors in hitting with a .212 average during the regular season, were shut out in both losses of the series. They lost 1-0 to Atlanta in 13 innings in Game 1 on Wednesday.
Anderson downplayed the significance of delivering Atlanta’s first playoff series victory since a three-game sweep of Houston in a 2001 NLDS.
“It’s exciting,” he said. “Obviously, it’s not the first thing on the guys’ minds in there. We’re just trying to take it game by game and trying to win each game.”
Braves catcher Travis d’arnaud played on the 2015 New York Mets, who went to the World Series. He said Anderson’s composure on Thursday was comparable to Mets pitchers Jacob degrom and Noah Syndergaard during that World Series run.
“The moment was never too big for them,” d’arnaud said. “They just stayed within themselves and just focused on executing pitches versus the lights being too bright. It’s a rare feature and (Anderson) had it and it’s just cool to see him go out there and put up zeroes every inning.”
Anderson, the No. 3 overall pick in the 2016 draft, continued his success from the regular season. He was called up in late August and put up a 1.95 earnedrun average in six starts.
Braves manager Brian Snitker said he looks at Anderson in the dugout between innings and says he looks as calm as if he were pitching on the sandlot.
“It’s almost like all of a sudden I’m coming to expect it,” Snitker said. “That’s the thing with this kid, he never stops pitching. … It’s something else how he handles the whole thing.”