Smaller stadium a factor in Braves’ playoff ticket sales

Mascot Blooper waves a flag after the Braves clinched  the NL East title with a win over the Phillies at SunTrust Park.

Mascot Blooper waves a flag after the Braves clinched the NL East title with a win over the Phillies at SunTrust Park.

The Braves have about 8,500 fewer seats to sell than the last time they played a home postseason game.

SunTrust Park has a seating capacity of 41,149, compared with 49,586 at the Braves’ former home Turner Field. That could help alleviate a problem the Braves infamously had for some playoff games in the past: less-than-capacity crowds.

The Braves put single-game National League Division Series tickets on sale to the general public Sept. 19.

As of Saturday, the Braves showed a limited number of tickets still available on Ticketmaster’s website for their first home playoff game, mostly above the outfield corners. The website showed more tickets available for the Braves’ second home NLDS game, mostly above the outfield corners and in the upper level above the infield.

Tickets also are available, as usual, on various resale sites at a wide range of prices and seat locations.

If the Braves, who clinched the NL East championship last weekend, get home-field advantage for the Division Series, Games 1 and 2 would be played at SunTrust Park on Thursday and Friday. If not, the best-of-five series would come to SunTrust Park for Games 3 and (if necessary) 4 on Oct. 7-8. Game 5, if needed, would be on Oct 10 at the same site as Games 1 and 2.

The Braves last were in the playoffs in 2013, when they lost to the Dodgers in four games in the Division Series. The first two games of that series were played at Turner Field. Game 1 drew 43,021, short of Turner Field’s seating capacity but more than enough to fill SunTrust Park. Game 2 drew 48,966.

The Braves’ regular-season attendance – defined by MLB as tickets sold -- was 2,555,782 this season, up about 50,000 from SunTrust Park’s inaugural season last year and the Braves’ highest home attendance since 2007.

In 2013, the last time before this season that the Braves won the NL East, their regular-season home attendance was 2,548,679, just 88 fans per game short of this year’s total.

SunTrust ParkFans' guide if you plan on attending playoff games