Braves still confident they can put away Dodgers in NLCS, avoid 2020 repeat

LOS ANGELES — Freddie Freeman seemed to cognize the question was coming aft the Atlanta Braves failed successful their archetypal accidental – their 4th chance, truly – to hide the Dodgers.

“That’s going to beryllium the narrative,” the Braves’ seasoned archetypal baseman said. “I don’t deliberation we person a prime until we termination that narrative.”

The Braves were 1 triumph distant from the World Series connected Thursday night, but they came up woefully abbreviated successful an 11-2 nonaccomplishment to the Dodgers successful Game 5 of the National League Championship Series.

Although the Braves inactive person a 3-2 pb successful the best-of-seven bid heading location to Atlanta, they besides volition transportation with them the past of blowing a 3-1 pb to the Dodgers successful the NLCS a twelvemonth ago.

Braves manager Brian Snitker, choosing not to look astatine 2020, alternatively considered the math.

If you’d person told him earlier the bid that they would person a 3-2 lead?

“I’ll instrumentality it,” Snitker said. “We’ve got to triumph 1 of 2 games. I similar our chances. We’ve got 2 starting pitchers that are well-rested.”

The Braves present person Ian Anderson and Charlie Morton near to commencement Games 6 and 7 successful Atlanta.

Anderson, a 23-year-old right-hander, posted a 3.58 ERA successful his archetypal afloat major-league play successful 2021. While Anderson didn’t let immoderate runs successful 5 innings successful his archetypal playoff commencement against the Milwaukee Brewers this month, the Dodgers knocked him retired aft 3 innings successful Game 2. He gave up 2 runs connected 3 hits successful a crippled the Braves came from down to win.

“It’s thing that we’re decidedly connected a ngo to dispel,” Anderson said of the Braves’ past against the Dodgers. “We’re inactive successful a bully spot. The vibes are inactive good. We’re going to hop connected a flight, caput location and beryllium acceptable to play connected Saturday.”

Morton, a 37-year-old right-hander, bounced backmost from a unspeakable commencement successful Game 3. He walked 4 successful the archetypal inning and gave up 2 runs, but past helium didn’t springiness up different tally done 5 innings. Morton near with a pb that was erased connected Cody Bellinger’s homer successful the Dodgers’ melodramatic victory.

Morton besides faced the Dodgers successful past year’s World Series, portion pitching for the Tampa Bay Rays. The Dodgers tagged him for 5 runs successful their Game 3 victory.

The Braves consciousness bully astir those pitchers, but they besides felt bully astir Max Fried, who got the shot for Game 5.

Fried, a merchandise of Harvard-Westlake High, had been the Braves’ champion pitcher implicit the past fewer months. He finished the season, posting a 1.74 ERA implicit his last 14 starts successful the regular season. He’d past allowed conscionable 2 runs successful 12 innings successful his archetypal 2 postseason starts, including six innings successful a Game 1 commencement against the Dodgers.

Even amended for the Braves, Fried had a two-run pb earlier helium threw his archetypal pitch, acknowledgment to a two-run homer by Freeman successful the apical of the archetypal inning. The reigning MVP, and merchandise of El Modena High, had quieted Dodger Stadium.

Fried, though, did not person it connected Thursday night, astatine slightest not during a mates of costly sequences.

In the 2nd inning, helium threw a mates of pitches implicit the mediate of the plate, and the Dodgers made him pay. AJ Pollock got a thigh-high fastball that helium deed implicit the near tract fence. Fried past threw a center-cut fastball to Chris Taylor, who blasted a two-run homer.

In the 3rd Fried gave up 3 consecutive hits to Pollock, Albert Pujols and Taylor, though lone 1 of them was a poorly located pitch.

The 5 runs Fried allowed successful 4-2/3 innings were his astir successful a crippled since July 5.

“It’s location,” Snitker said. “It’s 1 of those days wherever helium couldn’t get the shot wherever helium wanted.”