A capsule look at the Best-of-Five National League Division Series between the Atlanta Braves and Milwaukee Brewers:
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Schedule: (All times EDT) Game 1, Friday, in Milwaukee at 4:37 pm (TBS); Game 2, Saturday, in Milwaukee at 5:07 p.m. (TBS); Game 3, Monday October 11 in Atlanta, TBD (TBS); x-Game 4, Tuesday October 12, in Atlanta, TBD (TBS); x-Game 5, Thursday October 14th in Milwaukee, TBD (TBS).
x-possibly
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Season series: Split 3-3.
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ATLANTA BRAVES
Record: 88-73.
Playoff entry: NL Ostmeister.
Manager: Brian Snitker (sixth season).
Projected Rotation: RHP Charlie Morton (14-6, 3.34 ERA, 216 Ks in 185 2/3 IP), LHP Max Fried (14-7, 3.04, 158 Ks in 165 2/3 IP), RHP Ian Anderson (9-5, 3.58, 124 Ks in 128 1/3 IP).
Top Hitters: 1B Freddie Freeman (.300, 31 HRs, 83 RBIs, .896 OPS), 3B Austin Riley (.303, 33, 107, .898 OPS), 2B Ozzie Albies (.259, 30, 106, 40 doubles .), 20 SBs), CF Adam Duvall (.228, 38, 113 with Miami and Atlanta), RF Jorge Soler (.223, 27, 70 with Kansas City and Atlanta).
Top Relievers: LHP Will Smith (3-7, 3.44 ERA, 37/43 saves, 87 Ks, 67 IP), RHP Luke Jackson (2-2, 1.98), LHP Tyler Matzek (0-4, 2.57), RHP Chris Martin (2-4, 3.95, 1 store).
October view: The Braves won their fourth league title in a row and 21st overall, most in the majors. … Atlanta won 14 consecutive division crowns in completed seasons 1991-2005, including the top three during this run in NL West. … Atlanta was promoted to the NL Championship Series last season and lost to the Dodgers in Game 7. … Morton is 7-3 with a 3.38 ERA in 13 career postseason games, including 12 starts, with Pittsburgh, Houston and Tampa Bay. … The Braves had lost most of the first half and for the last time on August 3rd, 53-54. … The 88 wins corresponded to very few of the Braves in a season in which they won a division title (2001). … The Braves ended the season with a 5-0 shutout for the New York Mets. It was their 18th shutout, second in the majors after the 19th … Atlanta restored their outfield mid-season after losing to Ronald Acuña Jr. to an end-of-season knee injury and Marcell Ozuna to legal problems . GM Alex Anthopoulos acquired outfielder Joc Pederson, Eddie Rosario, Duvall and Soler shortly before close of trading on July 30th. … Freeman led the NL with a career high of 120 runs. Duvall led the NL with 113 RBIs. Riley finished runner-up at 107 and Albies tied at 106. … The Braves won eight of their last nine games, including a three-game sweep that put Philadelphia away in second place to end the regular season.
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MILWAUKEE BREWERS
Record: 95-67.
Playoff entry: NL Central Champion.
Manager: Craig Counsell (seventh season).
Projected Rotation: RHP Corbin Burnes (11-5, 2.43 ERA, 234 Ks in 167 IP), RHP Brandon Woodruff (9-10, 2.56, 211 Ks in 179 1/3 IP), RHP Freddy Peralta (10-5, 2.81 , 195 Ks in 144 1/3 IP).
Top Hitters: SS Willy Adames (.262, 25 HRs, 73 RBIs with Rays and Brewers), RF Avisaíl García (.262, 29, 86), 3B Eduardo Escobar (.253, 28, 90 with Diamondbacks and Brewers), INF Luis Urias (.249, 23, 75).
Top Reliever: LHP Josh Hader (4-2, 1.23 ERA, 34/35 Saves, 102 Ks in 58 2/3 IP), RHP Brad Boxberger (5-4, 3.34, 83 Ks in 64 2/3 IP) , LHP Brent Suter (12-5, 3.07), RHP Hunter Strickland (3-2, 2.61 for Rays, Angels and Brewers).
October view: The Brewers are in the playoffs for a fourth season in a row, but have never won the World Series. They made their only appearance in 1982. … This is the first time the Brewers have competed against the Braves in the postseason. … Before moving to Atlanta in 1966, the Braves lived in Milwaukee from 1953-65. … The Brewers were under .500 when they acquired Adames and left 74-44 upon his arrival. Adames hit only .197 in 41 games with Tampa Bay, but hit .285 with 20 homers and 58 RBIs in 99 games with Milwaukee. … Urías has made 23 homers this season, having never played homering in 2020. … García set career highs with Homers and RBIs. … The Brewers have three All-Star Starting Mugs in Burnes, Woodruff, and Peralta. … Hader is not rated in his last 21 appearances. … The Brewers won the division without much impetus from Christian Yelich, the NL MVP 2018. Yelich missed much of the first half with a lower back load, finishing 0.248 with 9 homers and 51 RBIs in 117 games. … RHP Devin Williams, 2020 NL Rookie of the Year and the Brewers’ main setup man, will not be available for this series. Williams broke his pitching hand when he hit a wall the night the Brewers took the NL Central title. … The Brewers lacked the franchise record by a win. They reached 96-66 in 2011 and 96-67 in 2018. … Milwaukee was 50-31 en route to set a franchise record for road wins. … The Brewers had at least part of the division leadership since June 19, and on June 25 they took sole ownership of first place for good. … The Brewers used 61 players that season, breaking the franchise records of 1969 (when the Seattle Pilots were) and 2018. … The Brewers hit the MLB extended postseason last year, though they never exceeded .500. They were swept in two first-round games by eventual World Series champion Los Angeles Dodgers.
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