2019 MLB – Atlanta Braves @ St. Louis Cardinals Preview & Prediction
THE FACTS
When is Atlanta Braves @ St. Louis Cardinals taking place? Sunday 6th October, 2019 – 21:10 (UK)
Where is Atlanta Braves @ St. Louis Cardinals taking place? Busch Stadium
What is the expected weather for Atlanta Braves @ St. Louis Cardinals? Cloudy, 21c
What television channel is Atlanta Braves @ St. Louis Cardinals on? BT Sport 1 in the UK / TBS in the US
Where can I stream Atlanta Braves @ St. Louis Cardinals? BT Sport subscribers can stream the match live via the BT Sport website or app in the UK / MLB.tv in the US
Where can I get tickets for Atlanta Braves @ St. Louis Cardinals? https://www.mlb.com/tickets/season-tickets
What was the outcome in the last meeting? St. Louis Cardinals 0 – 3 Atlanta Braves
THE TEAM NEWS
ATLANTA BRAVES
- The Braves attempted a late ninth-inning rally during Game 1 of the NLDS, but came one run short from pulling what would have been a memorable comeback. That wasn’t needed in Game 2, however, as Atlanta dominated the Cardinals and didn’t allow a single run en route to a comfortable 3-0 win. Now the series is tied 1-1 and the Braves know they must steal at least one game at Busch Stadium in order to avoid elimination.
- Reliever Chris Martin remains Atlanta’s lone injury absentee due to an oblique injury, and there is no clear timetable for his return. Ronald Acuña Jr. recorded another hit on Game 2 and he is now hitting .500 on the first two postseason games of his career.
- Star rookie Mike Soroka will get the start for the Braves in Game 3, and Atlanta couldn’t have asked for a better pitch to be on the mound in a key matchup away from home. The NL Cy Young candidate 1.55 ERA on the road this season, and he didn’t allow more than three runs in any of his starts away from home in 2019 (with no more than two runs in 14 of those). He finished the regular season with a 13-4 record and a 2.68 ERA.
ST. LOUIS CARDINALS
- The Cardinals couldn’t repeat their offensive explosion from Game 1 and were unable to score a single run in Game 2 of the NLDS. However, they couldn’t have wished for a better time to return home since they were one of the top teams in the National League at home during the regular season (50-31).
- One player to watch for St. Louis so far has been Marcell Ozuna, as the towering outfielder has four hits and two RBI in eight at-bats so far in the NLDS against the Braves.
- Veteran Adam Wainwright will get the start for the Cardinals in Game 3, as he prepares for his 13th postseason start and 25th playoff appearance. Wainwright is a proven player in the postseason, as he owns a 3.03 career playoff ERA and a microscopic 1.72 ERA at Busch Stadium.
THE PREDICTION
The Cardinals know they have a sizeable edge in the series as they stole the home-field advantage from the Braves, meaning they need only win both contests at home to secure a berth in the NLCS. However, few teams have produced against Mike Soroka in 2019 so the Braves have a clear pitching advantage, while they also evidenced they can do damage on St. Louis’ pitching after averaging 4.5 runs per game in the first two games of the series. With this in mind, Atlanta should come out on top here, as they are likely to recover the home-field advantage by going up 2-1 in the series.
