Here is everything you need to know about Game Two of the NLDS between the St. Louis Cardinals and the Atlanta Braves.
Mike Foltynewicz takes on Jack Flaherty Friday afternoon in a crucial Game Two of the NLDS for the Atlanta Braves. A win for the Cardinals gives them the undoubted historical advantage in the series, as only eight teams have come back from an 0-2 deficit.
But for the Braves, a split would be huge heading back to St. Louis on Sunday, as Mike Soroka is on the mound. This game really is a must-win.
Let’s hope the bullpen is better than it was Thursday, as that could once again be the deciding factor in Game Two, as I would expect little scoring off both starting pitchers.
Foltynewicz has been rolling lately, but has had some issues with the Cardinals this season. Take a look at these numbers:
Marcel Ozuna, 5-for-25, two home runs, five runs batted in, nine strikeouts
Paul Goldschmidt, 4-for-21, ten strikeouts
Matt Wieters, 5-for-16
Yadier Molina, 5-for-15
Matt Carpenter, 3-for-12, home run, three runs batted in
Kolten Wong, 5-for-11, home run, four runs batted in
Jose Martinez, 3-for-11
Paul DeJong, 3-for-10, home run, three runs batted in
Dexter Fowler, 2-for-8, home run
The Braves don’t have as many at-bats against Flaherty, as all but one have single-digit at-bats. Here are there stats:
Francisco Cervelli, 3-for-12, home run
Ronald Acuna, 1-for-7
Freddie Freeman, 3-for-8, HR, three runs batted in
Dansby Swanson, 1-for-6
Ozzie Albies, 1-for-7
Brian McCann, 1-for-5
Nick Markakis, 0-for-5
Josh Donaldson, 0-for-4
Matt Joyce, 0-for-1
Next, let’s take a look at the starting pitching matchups. To say the least, the challenge for the Braves is going to be quite daunting.