Braves blank Miami, lead series 2-0
HOUSTON >> Rookie Ian Anderson pitched like a poised veteran, right fielder Nick Markakis made a nifty defensive play late and the Atlanta Braves threw another playoff shutout, beating the Miami Marlins 2- 0 Wednesday for a 2- 0 lead in the NL Division Series.
The Braves have pitched three shutouts in four games this postseason. Travis d’Arnaud and Dansby Swanson each homered for the second straight day, putting Atlanta one win away from a sweep in the best- of-five matchup.
The 22-year- old Anderson scattered three hits and struck out eight over 5 2/3 innings. The lanky righthander 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 Cincinnati.
The 36-year-old Markakis helped preserve the shutout and the lead in the eighth.
Corey Dickerson reached on an error by Swanson at
shortstop to start the inning, setting up Markakis’ heads-up play. Jon Berti sliced a high fly down the line that Markakis alertly plucked on one hop and, with Dickerson holding up to see if the ball would be caught, threw to Swanson for a forceout at second base in a close play.
RAYS 8, YANKEES 4 >> The final pitch of Masahiro Tanaka’s seven years with New York might have been a slider down the middle that Randy Arozarena crushed for another Rays homer in Game 3 of the AL Division Series.
Although Tanaka and the Yankees aren’t officially done with the playoffs or each other, they’re on the brink after Tampa Bay’s victory Petco Park to put the Rays up 2-1 in the best- of-five series.
That errant slider was far from the only mistake made by the Yankees’ pitching staff during backto-back losses to the Rays, who have forced their bitter AL East rivals into two must-win games in San Diego.