Atlanta Braves postseason history with the St. Louis Cardinals is not pretty
The Atlanta Braves will play either the St. Louis Cardinals or the Milwaukee Brewers in the NLDS next week. Since they have never played the Brewers in the playoffs, let’s take a look at the Braves postseason history with the Cardinals.
As of Saturday morning, the St. Louis Cardinals held a one-game lead over the Milwaukee Brewers in the National League Central and the Atlanta Braves will host either team on Thursday in Game 1 of the NLDS.
In 34 all-time postseason appearances, the Atlanta Braves have faced the St. Louis Cardinals four times, which is tied for most with the New York Yankees.
The matchup with the Cardinals has not been particularly kind for the Braves.
1982 NLCS
The Braves were swept in three games and outscored 17-5 over the series. Not shocking for that era of baseball, the Braves did not hit a single home run in the three games.
In Game 1, the Cardinals hit six singles in the sixth inning en route to scoring five runs. The Cardinals won 7-0 .
The Braves starting pitcher Pascual Perez allowed four earned runs, while striking out only two.
Game 2 starter, Phil Niekro, pitched effectively for the Braves, allowing just two earned runs. But Gene Garber blew his save chance (the Braves had a 3-2 lead in the sixth) and lost 4-3.
In Game 3, the Cardinals scored four runs in the top of the second inning and never looked back as they won 6-2. The Braves’ Rick Camp allowed all four runs in the second.
1996 NLCS
The Braves won the first game 4-2 behind John Smoltz’s eight innings of two earned run ball, but then lost the next three games to fall behind three games to one in the series.
In Game 5, the offense exploded in a 14-0 victory.
Chipper Jones went 2-for-3 with three RBI, Fred McGriff went 2-for-6 with a home run and three RBI, and then Javy Lopez also added a home run.
Greg Maddux was lights out in Game 6, allowing an earned run, while striking out seven in the Braves 3-1 win to even the series at three.
Much like Game 5, it was all offense for the Braves in Game 7 as they cruised to a 15-0 victory.
McGriff continued his torrid play, going 3-for-5 with a homer and four RBI, Lopez went 2-for-4 with a homer and three RBI, Andruw Jones went 2-for-4 with three RBI and Tom Glavine hit a three-run triple to go with his seven innings of shutout ball.
This is where the Braves success against the Cardinals in the postseason ends.
2000 NLDS
The vaunted rotation of Greg Maddux, Tom Glavine, and Kevin Millwood were anything but in this series, as they gave up a combined 16 earned runs.
In the first inning of Game 1, the Cardinals scored six runs that included five singles, an intentional walk and an error.
The Atlanta Braves committed three errors in the game and lost 7-5.
In Game 2, the Braves jumped out to a 2-0 lead in the first, thanks to RBI from Chipper Jones and Brian Jordan.
But the Cardinals answered right back with a three-run homer from Will Clark. They added two more in the third off a two-run double from Ray Lankford.
The Cardinals won 10-4.
Fernando Vina’s two-run single in the seventh inning blew open Game 3 and the Cardinals cruised to a 7-1 win and the series sweep.
2011 Collapse
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I don’t really want to tear open this scab, but the Atlanta Braves had an 8.5 game lead in the Wild Card in early September, only to see it be completely erased on the last day of the season.
The Braves went 8-18 in September and the Cardinals caught Atlanta and won the Wild Card and eventually the World Series.
Enough of that.
2012 Wild Card Game
The Braves made up for 2011 with one of the Wild Card bids in 2012 and hosted the Cardinals in that game.
A two-run home run from David Ross gave the Braves the early 2-0 lead, but a costly error from Chipper Jones allowed three Cardinal runs in the fourth inning.
In the bottom of the eighth, Freddie Freeman opened with a walk. After a Dan Uggla fielder’s choice, David Ross singled.
With runners on first and second and one out, Andrelton Simmons hit a fly ball into shallow left field that Cardinal shortstop Pete Kozma could not get to.
But instead of the bases loaded and one out and a pinch hitter at the plate (likely Brian McCann), umpire Sam Holbrook ruled the play to be an infield fly.
The rally was killed and the Braves never threatened en route to a 6-3 loss
Next. No more debate at shortstop. dark
Conclusion
If we do play the Cardinals in the NLDS, it will be a great opportunity to exercise some demons from the past. It’s time to beat the Cardinals. The end. Let’s do it.