House That Hank Built
Fansided

Atlanta Braves: 5 keys to beating the Dodgers

By James Kunkle

DENVER, CO - AUGUST 17: Starting pitcher Lucas Sims
DENVER, CO - AUGUST 17: Starting pitcher Lucas Sims /
facebooktwitterreddit
Prev
3 of 5
Next
Atlanta Braves
SAN DIEGO, CA – JUNE 4: Dansby Swannson #7 of the Atlanta Braves makes a diving stop on a ball hit by Hunter Rennfroe #10 of the San Diego Padres during the eighth inning of a baseball game at PETCO Park on June 4, 2018 in San Diego, California. Swanson got the out at first base. (Photo by Denis Poroy/Getty Images) /

3. Play Solid Defense

It’s looking more and more likely that the Braves won’t have Dansby Swanson on the NLDS Roster. Say what you want about Dansby, but he is a hell of a defender. His glove will be sorely missed.

The good news is Charlie Culberson is a very capable backup. One of the very first things Alex Anthopoulos said after taking the GM job for the Braves was we were going to prioritize defense. The Braves did just that this season and were statistically one of the best in the bigs.

In the playoffs, every play is scrutinized and one tiny mistake can cost you the whole season. The Braves are the better defensive team in this series, as they ranked 8th in MLB in fielding percentage this year. The Braves as a team made only 80 errors in the whole season.

Taking it one step further, the Braves ranked 7th in defensive runs saved in the 2018 season. A vast improvement from where they were in the previous years. We all know Ender Inciarte is one of the best centerfielders in the game. We also all know Freddie Freeman can pick it with almost any other first baseman in the game.

To continue on that Albies will make a mistake here and there, but overall Albies is a fine second baseman. Tyler Flowers is rated as one of the best framing catchers in the game as well.

The bottom line is the Braves have an advantage over the Dodgers in this phase of the game, and they need to take advantage of that. They darn sure don’t need to give up unearned or easy runs to the Dodgers. If that does happen, this series might get ugly.

Home/Braves News