Thursday, October 1, 2020, Truist Park, Atlanta, Georgia, 12:08 p.m. ET
Reds at Braves Betting Preview: Reds (-178), Braves (+150)
Cincinnati Reds
Despite out-hitting the Braves 11-6 in Wednesday’s series opener, the Reds struggled to deliver when it counted, going 1-for-12 with runners in scoring position in a game Atlanta won 1-0 in 13 innings. Cincinnati had numerous chances in extra innings, including stranding the bases loaded in the 11th and 13th.
Nicholas Castellanos led the Reds’ attack with three hits, while Nick Senzel, Joey Votto and Aristedes Aquino contributed two each. Senzel looked to jam his shoulder while diving back to first base on a third-inning pickoff attempt, but remained in the game.
Right-hander Luis Castillo will get the call in his first postseason start as the Reds try to stave off elimination. An All-Star and 15-game winner in 2019, Castillo was 4-6 with a 3.21 ERA this season.
Atlanta Braves
National League MVP candidate Freddie Freeman knocked home an RBI single with one out in the bottom of the 13th inning Wednesday as the Braves ended the longest scoreless duel in the history of postseason play. The Braves had lost 10 consecutive postseason series openers, including a wild-card game, since a victory in 2001, which was also the last year they won a playoff series. Atlanta can end a skid of nine straight playoff series losses (not counting one-game wild cards) with a win Thursday.
Rookie right-hander Ian Anderson, a first-round pick in 2016, will look to pitch Atlanta into the NL Division Series. Anderson (3-2, 1.95 ERA) made six starts after joining the Braves from their alternate training site in late August, working at least 5 2/3 innings four times.
A.J. Minter wriggled out of a bases-loaded, one-out jam in the top of the 13th to earn the victory Wednesday.
Reds at Braves Betting Pick for Game 2
Castillo shined in September ahead of a hiccup in his regular-season finale, going 4-0 with a 1.26 ERA in four starts before allowing four runs in four innings Saturday. Anderson also is battle-tested in his short career, including six innings of one-hit ball in his August debut. Another nail-biter between these teams appears imminent, but the Braves get the edge with a more consistent complement of bats.
Reds at Braves Betting Pick:
Braves 3, Reds 1
Reds at Braves Best Bet for October 1, 2020
Atlanta and Cincinnati combined to set a single-game postseason record with 37 strikeouts Wednesday, including 21 whiffs by the Braves. While that degree of swinging and missing doesn’t figure to be replicated in Game 2, an offensive breakout from both sides seems unlikely, as well.
Reds at Braves Best Bet: UNDER 7.5 total runs (-115)
–Field Level Media
