What you need to know about the Braves’ 3-0 win over the Brewers in their NLDS Game 3 at Truist Park on Monday afternoon:
‘Joctober,’ indeed
The Braves have scored seven runs in the series, and Joc Pederson has accounted for four of them with two pinch-hit home runs. His three-run fifth-inning homer to right field produced all of Game 3′s scoring. Pederson is 3-for-3 as a pinch-hitter in the series, with a solo homer in Game 1 and a single in Game 2. Only one Braves player has more hits in the series than Pederson: Austin Riley with four hits in 12 ABs.
For starters ...
Both starting pitchers were terrific, but both were gone by mid-game. Milwaukee starter Freddy Peralta, who allowed three hits and struck out five in four scoreless innings, was lifted for a pinch-hitter (Daniel Vogelbach) with two runners in scoring position in the top of the fifth. And Braves starter Ian Anderson, who allowed three hits and struck out six in five scoreless innings, was lifted for a pinch-hitter (Pederson) in the bottom of the inning.
The difference
Pinch-hitting for the starting pitcher worked out much better for the Braves than for the Brewers. Vogelbach grounded into a fielder’s choice, and Milwaukee came up empty in the top of the fifth. In the bottom of the inning, the Brewers’ first reliever, Adrian Houser, was greeted with three consecutive hits, culminating with the Pederson homer.
Zeroes from bullpen
The Braves’ bullpen protected the 3-0 lead by pitching four scoreless innings: one apiece by Jesse Chavez, Tyler Matzek, Luke Jackson and Will Smith. For the series, Braves relievers have worked nine innings without allowing a run.
Defensive gems
The left side of the Braves’ infield delivered several dazzling and crucial plays Monday. Shortstop Dansby Swanson saved a run in the fifth inning with a diving stop and turned a slick double play in the eighth. Third baseman Austin Riley made a leaping catch of a 104-mph liner to open the ninth.
On the bases
An inexplicable baserunning blunder cost the Braves a run in the second inning. With one out and runners on the corners, Travis d’Arnaud hit what should have been a sacrifice fly to left field. But Adam Duvall was tagged out attempting unwisely to advance to second base before Riley, the lead runner, could cross home plate.
Notable
-- Dating to last season, Anderson has a 0.76 ERA in five career postseason starts (two runs in 23-2/3 innings). The only other pitcher in MLB history to allow two or fewer runs in 20 or more innings across his first five postseason starts: Hall of Famer Christy Mathewson of the New York Giants in 1905-1911.
-- TV cameras showed Hall of Fame third baseman Chipper Jones, in the stands near the Atlanta dugout, drop a foul pop in the second inning. “That’s an E-5,” broadcaster Don Orsillo said on TBS.
-- The Braves have back-to-back shutout wins by 3-0 scores and have allowed only two runs in the series, both on one swing of the bat (Rowdy Tellez’s Game 1 homer).
-- Pederson’s homer was the only hit by either team with runners in scoring position Monday; the Braves were 1-for-7 and the Brewers 0-for-8 in that situation. For the series, the teams are a combined 2-for-33 with RISP: the Braves 2-for-17 and the Brewers 0-for-16.
-- Both of Pederson’s homers in this series have come against the same pitcher, Houser.
-- Brewers center fielder Lorenzo Cain almost made a terrific catch on a drive to the right-center fence by Duvall in the fourth inning. But the ball came out of Cain’s glove as he fell to the ground after a hard collision with the fence, putting Duvall on third base with a triple. Cain remained in the game.
-- The game drew an announced sellout crowd of 41,479, topping the Braves’ previous largest home attendance this year of 41,136 for a June 5 game against the Dodgers.
-- The Braves lead the best-of-five series two games to one, and as of Monday tickets remained available for Tuesday’s Game 4 via braves.com/postseason.
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