Rookie, bullpen do job
Anderson dominates again for two-game series edge
HOUSTON — Rookie Ian Anderson pitched like an October veteran. Old pro Nick Markakis threw the best strike of the game. And just like that, the Atlanta Braves are on the verge of something they haven’t done since the days of Chipper, the Big Three and Bobby Cox.
Anderson blanked the Miami Marlins into the sixth inning, Markakis made a nifty play in right field to help preserve the lead late, and the Braves threw another playoff shutout in a 2-0 victory Wednesday for a 2-0 lead in the NL Division Series.
The Braves have pitched three shutouts in four games during this year’s playoffs.
They’re just the third team in MLB history to toss three shutouts in the first four games of a postseason, joining the 1966 Baltimore Orioles and the 1905 New York Giants.
Travis d’Arnaud and Dansby Swanson each homered for the second straight day, putting the Braves one win away from a sweep in the best-of-five matchup. Game 3 is today in Houston.
“It’s hard to bunch hits together; pitching is too good,” Braves manager Brian Snitker said.
“Power I think is something that plays in the postseason and was witnessed today.”
The Braves haven’t reached the NL Championship Series since 2001, when Hall of Famers Chipper Jones,
Greg Maddux, Tom Glavine and John Smoltz played under Cox, another Hall of Famer.
The Braves have lost in a division series eight times since then, including in the last two seasons — a fact star slugger Freddie Freeman said put a chip on their shoulders entering this round.
Anderson scattered three hits and struck out eight over 52⁄ innings. The
3 lanky right-hander who made his major league debut in late August added to his impressive outing last week in the wild-card series when he fanned nine in six scoreless frames against the Reds.
“It doesn’t seem like the moment ever matters to him,” Snitker said. “He just keeps pitching and trusting
his stuff.”
Added d’Arnaud, his catcher: “He’s just always been like that. It’s something that should be noticed and put out there.”
Despite his calm demeanor, the 22-year-old Anderson admitted to some early-game jitters.
“I definitely had more nerves today,” he said. “I don’t know if was the different site and seeing all the playoff stuff around the stadium or what ... but I was able to calm down and get in the groove of the game.”
Miami, which has never won a division title, is on the verge of losing a postseason series for the first time. The Marlins won the World Series in 1997 and 2003 and beat the Chicago Cubs in this year’s first round.