By AJ Johnson
NLDS Game 1: Phillies 3 – Braves 0
Bryce Harper hit his 12th career postseason homer, Suárez and a six releif pitchers combined on a five-hitter, and the Phillies shut down baseball’s most prolific offense for a 3-0 victory over the Atlanta Braves in Game 1 of the NL Division Series on Saturday night.
The 104 win Braves find themselves in the same exact position as a year ago: trailing the Phillies after the opener at Truist Park.
Last October, the Phillies knocked off the Braves 3-1. Now, they’re up again 1-0 heading into Game 2 of the best-of-five series Monday night in Atlanta.
Harper reached base in all four at-bats and homered into the right-field seats off (I wish we played in empty stadiums) Spencer Strider in the sixth.
Braves superstar Ronald Acuña went hitless in his first three at-bats, including a strikeout. The Braves star finally reached with a walk leading off the eighth, but it failed to get anything going for Atlanta.
“This is his time of year,” Thomson said of Bryce Harper. “This is where he kind of shines.”
Left-hander Max Fried (8-1, 2.55 ERA) will get the start for the Braves in Game 2. The Phillies will send out their Ace right-hander Zack Wheeler (13-6, 3.61 ERA), who got the win in Game 1 of the wild-card series against the Marlins, allowing just one run over 6 1/3 innings.
