A look at the National League Division Series between the Braves and the Cardinals. The series begins Thursday at SunTrust Park.
Uh-oh
Sam Holbrook has a place in Braves playoff history.
It’s not a good place.
Well, the infamous umpire is back.
Holbrook was at the center of an infield fly dispute during the 2012 National League wild-card game between the Braves and Cardinals. He will be the crew chief when the teams meet this week in the National League Division Series. Holbrook will head the six-man crew and be at second base when the Cardinals and Braves open the best-of-five series at Atlanta on Thursday.
Seven years ago, Holbrook was the left field umpire at Turner Field when a popup by Andrelton Simmons in the eighth inning caused a commotion. With runners on first and second and one out, Holbrook called the infield fly rule — Cardinals shortstop Pete Kozma drifted back and called for the ball but veered off at the last second, and it dropped in front of left fielder Matt Holliday.
Braves fans littered the field with debris and the game was delayed for 19 minutes. Atlanta didn't score in the inning and lost 6-3 in what turned out to be Chipper Jones’ last game.
The Braves filed a protest, which MLB executive Joe Torre immediately denied.
Braves notable
The Braves have lost nine consecutive playoff rounds, dating to the 2001 National League Championship Series against the Diamondbacks. That streak is the second longest in MLB history. The Braves last won a playoff round in 2001, sweeping the Astros, now in the American League, in the NLDS. Only the Cubs owns a longer such skid, losing 10 consecutive rounds from 1910 through 1998.
Cardinals notable
The Cardinals (91-71) finished three games better than last season (88-74) as Mike Shildt became the first manager in over a century to reach the postseason without ever having played in the major or minor leagues. The only others to do so were Pants Rowland of the 1917 Chicago White Sox and Ed Barrow of the 1918 Boston Red Sox.
Braves quotable
"We knocked on the door last year. This year we're gonna kick that (expletive) in."
– Manager Brian Snitker after Braves clinched division
Cardinals quotable
"We don't have any team meetings, but we do have three more left. When we pop champagne after the division series, when we pop champagne after the championship series and when we pop champagne after the World Series. Let's Go!"
– Manger Mike Mike Shildt after Cardinals clinched
Limping into the playoffs
The Braves lost five of the seven games played after they clinched a second consecutive NL East title, including a three-game sweep by the Mets. The Cardinals didn’t clinch the NL Central until the final day of the season by beating the Cubs, who had won the first two games of the regular-season ending series.
Pitching matchups
Neither the Braves nor the Cardinals have announced their starting rotation for the series. However, it appears it’s lining up to be:
• Game 1 @ Atlanta: Dallas Keuchel vs. Miles Mikolas
• Game 2 @ Atlanta: Mike Foltynewicz vs. Jack Flaherty
• Game 3 @ St. Louis: Mike Soroka vs. Adam Wainwright
