MVPs from the Braves’ NLDS series win over the Brewers

Charlie Morton, Max Fried, Ian Anderson

Pitching for the Braves was the strength of this entire series, and all three of these men did their part in dominating Milwaukee’s lineup

From Games 1-4, Morton, Fried, and Anderson combined to pitch for 20.1 innings, allowing 13 hits, four earned runs, and getting 29 strikeouts. That is exactly what you want from your starters in the postseason.

Charlie Morton set the tone in game one by taking a shutout into the seventh. However, he ran into trouble and allowed a Rowdy Tellez two-run homer that gave the Brewers the lead and eventual win. He would pitch game four in this series on three days rest and, although he wasn’t as sharp as his first start, he limited Milwaukee’s offense to two runs in a little over three innings of work.

Max Fried continued his recent stretch of domination last Saturday, shutting out the Brewers for six innings. Coming into the NLDS, Fried was Atlanta’s best pitcher, as he racked up a 1.74 ERA in the second half of the season, and would have certainly been called upon to start a potential game five in Milwaukee if it was necessary.

Ian Anderson proved last season’s playoff success was no fluke. He pitched five shutout innings Monday, lowering his career postseason ERA to 0.76.

The Athletic writer David O’Brien threw out this nugget about Anderson’s historic playoff performances:

"“The Braves’ Ian Anderson on Monday became the first pitcher in MLB history to have four scoreless starts of at least four innings apiece within his first five postseason starts.”"

With either the Dodgers or Giants up next in the NLCS, these three men will have to continue putting together great starts in each game of the series, and with how things went against the Brewers, I’d say Braves country has all the confidence in the world in our three stud pitchers.