The Braves host the Reds in the best-of-three National League wild card playoff series beginning Wednesday. Here’s what you need to know about the series.
Schedule: The first pitch of Wednesday’s Game 1 will be at 12:08 p.m. Thursday’s Game 2 will begin at noon and Friday’s Game 3, if necessary, will begin at 3 p.m.
Roster: The Braves and Reds must announce their 28-man roster by 10 a.m. Wednesday. Teams can keep five players on a taxi squad.
Pitching matchups: Game 1 – Max Fried vs. Trevor Bauer. Game 2 – Ian Anderson vs. Luis Castillo. Game 3 – Kyle Wright vs. Sonny Gray
Weather: The forecast calls for sunny skies with very little chance of rain for all three days of the series. Wednesday the high/low temperatures will be 73/55 degrees for Game 1. Thursday will be 77/51 for Game 2. Friday will be 68/47 for Game 3, if necessary.
Umpires: Joe West will be the crew chief for the series. Here are the Game 1 assignments:
Home plate: Stu Scheurwater
First base: Marty Foster
Second base: Alan Porter
Third base: Joe West
Left field: Mark Wegner
Right field: Vic Carapazza
Rules: The designated hitter in both leagues will continue through the World Series. The rule requiring a relief pitcher to face a minimum of three batters (unless he starts an inning) remains in effect. The extra-inning designated runner rule will not be in effect.
Next: The winner of the series advances to Houston as MLB goes into a bubble for the remainder of the postseason. The winner plays the winner of the No. 3 Cubs vs. No. 6 Marlins series. Game 1 of the NLDS would be Oct. 6. The NLCS, and World Series, will be held in Arlington, Texas. Game 1 of the NLCS is scheduled for Oct. 12 and Game 1 of the World Series is scheduled for Oct. 20.
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