Braves Notes - Game One
The Braves and Reds open their best-of-three National League Wild Card Series today with Game 1 at Truist Park...The teams last played in August of 2019 at Truist Park in Atlanta, with the clubs splitting a four-game set.
The teams split the last series between the clubs, a four-game set here in Atlanta, August 1-4, 2019... The Braves won the first and third games, while the Reds took the second and fourth...The Reds won two-of-three in Cincinnati earlier in the year, April 23-25.
The Braves and Reds have met in the playoffs once before, with the Braves sweeping the NLCS in 1995 on their way to a World Series title...The Braves outscored Cincinnati, 19-5, in the four wins.
LHP Max Fried is set for his ninth career postseason appearance and his first start today...The 6-foot-4, 190-pound native of Santa Monica, CA, has faced Cincinnati three times in his career, once as a starter...He won, 4-1, last season on August 1 here in Atlanta...For his career in the postseason, Fried has no decisions and a 7.11 ERA (5 ER/6.1 IP), despite being unscored upon in six of the eight outings.
RHP Trevor Bauer is 1-4 with a 3.81 ERA (11 ER/26.0 IP) in 10 career postseason games, six starts...The 6-foot-1, 205-pound native of North Hollywood, CA, made all his postseason appearances with Cleveland over a three-season stretch from 2016-2018...The righty has averaged 3.2 innings per postseason start, although that does count his Game 3 ALCS start in 2016 that he was forced to leave after two outs due to a lacerated right pinkie...He is 1-0 with a 3.86 ERA (9 ER/21.0 IP) in four career games, all starts, against the Braves.
20 IN ‘20: The Braves clinched the 20th division title in franchise history this season, beating Miami, 11-1 on September 22 at Truist Park to win the National League East...The 20 division titles are the most in major league history, one more than New York (AL) and Los Angeles (NL)...This season also marks the franchise’s 26th postseason berth in the modern era and its third straight.
The Braves won a major league-record 14 consecutive division titles from 1991-2005, with the first three coming as NL West champs before moving into the NL East in the strike-shortened 1994 season...They also won the West in 1969 and 1982, and the East in 2013, 2018 and 2019. • The three straight division titles marks the second longest streak in baseball...The Dodgers have won the NL West in eight straight seasons. • The Braves clinched in game No. 55 of this shortened 2020 season...The Braves clinched their previous three division titles (2013, 2018, 2019) in game No. 155. • The Braves were the second division winner this season...Oakland won the AL West prior.