What fortune does Game 3 hold for the Braves?
Even though the series is already lost, the Atlanta Braves are going to try and at least take 1 game of this series to not only prove they can beat the Red Sox, but to maintain their lead in the NL East.
Mike Foltynewicz has the mound vs the Red Sox, and the last time Folty took the mound vs Boston (May 27, 2018), he pitched 7 innings of 3 hit, 1 run ball and helped lead the Braves to a 7-1 victory at Fenway Park. For the Braves sake, hopefully Folty can be just as dominant today.
But Game 3 will tell us what kind of team the young Braves are made of. The Red Sox have beaten up on the Braves, and it’s time for the Braves to return the favor. Can the Braves persevere and beat the Red Sox? Can Folty limit his walks? Can the young players step up and take command of the game? Game 3 will help solidify what this Braves team is capable of. Win or lose, the Braves have something to prove in Game 3.
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The Braves have to opportunity to not only beat the Red Sox, but to do so while the games are suspenseful and mean something: during September. If the Braves can pull out a win in Game 3, I think it will tell us that the young Braves may struggle during adversity, but they always have the ability to turn around and fight back which is a key component to being a successful playoff team.
At the end of the day, I think this series will tell us whether the Braves are postseason ready or not. If they are not, that doesn’t mean that they won’t have success in the postseason this year assuming they get there. If the season ended today, the Braves would play a 5 game NLDS against the Dodgers. Could the Braves win this? Possibly. Would they win? According to percentages and odds, the answer is no, but that doesn’t mean that the Braves wouldn’t have fun doing it. Any postseason experience this year could be considered the Braves making a statement to the rest of baseball that they are here to stay, and that they aren’t going anywhere.
No matter what way you look at it, the 2018 season for the Atlanta Braves has been and will be a huge success.