NLDS MARLINS VS. BRAVES
Very quietly, the Braves are building a dynasty in the National League East. They’ve won three consecutive division titles, though Atlanta dipped out of the playoffs quickly in 2018 and 2019. Was the two-game sweep of the Reds in a wild-card series the relief the Braves needed to flourish? They will find out quickly against a division nemesis they probably didn’t figure would pose problems so quickly. The Marlins, something of a sentimental favorite after losing 18 players to a coronavirus outbreak three games into the season, are more than a good story. Their power arms and fleet feet will challenge a team that can hammer opponents into submission with a slew of MVP-caliber bats.
Schedule
All games at Minute Maid Park in Houston (Best-of-five; *if necessary; times p.m. Eastern)
Tuesday: Marlins (Sandy Alcantara 3-2, 3.00 ERA) at Braves (Max Fried 7-0, 2.25 ERA), 2:08, FS1
Wednesday: Marlins (Pablo Lopez 6-4, 3.61 ERA) at Braves (Ian Anderson 3-2, 1.95), 2:08, MLB Network
Thursday: Braves (Kyle Wright 2-4, 5.21 ERA) at Marlins (Sixto Sanchez 3-2, 3.46 ERA), 2:08, FS1
*Friday: Braves at Marlins, 2:08, FS1
*Saturday: Marlins at Braves, 4:08, FS1
Three things to watch
Marté partake? The Marlins received a turbo boost from the Aug. 31 acquisition of Starling Marté, who is probably their best position player and brings loud tools to both center field and the middle of the lineup. Marté, though, suffered a non-displaced fracture of his left pinkie in Game 1 of the wild-card series and sat out Game 2. Whether he’s on the roster and how effective he’ll be are open questions. Reserve outfielders Magneuris Sierra, Monté Harrison and Lewis Brinson have excellent speed and are strong defenders but can’t hit like Marté. The Braves batted .203 in the wild-card series.
One and done: It should be an excellently pitched series, with Games 1-2 starters Fried, Anderson and Alcantara all coming off dominant wild-card starts. The Marlins opted to give rookie Sanchez an extra day of rest and go in Game 3. But this is a series where, with no off days, each starting pitcher likely goes only once. The key for the Marlins: Can Lopez break serve and steal Game 2 against Anderson, who struck out nine in his playoff debut? That could give the Marlins momentum into a Game 3 matchup where Sanchez may hold the edge over the inconsistent Wright. The Marlins lean on Alcantara, Lopez and Sanchez so their season doesn’t hinge on Trevor Rogers or Daniel Castano.
Might versus flight: The Braves hit 103 home runs. The Marlins hit 60. The Marlins stole 53 bases. The Braves stole 23. What matters more in this best-of-five? While Miami’s bullpen was fantastic in the regular season and the wild-card series, its relievers ranked last in baseball with 7.30 strikeouts per nine innings. That’s a dangerous way to fly against Freddie Freeman, Ronald Acuña Jr., Marcell Ozuna and Adam Duvall – particularly in cozy Minute Maid Park. Prediction
Braves in 4.