Life's Too Sports

The Atlanta Braves scored six runs in the sixth inning on Thursday, en route to their lopsided 10-2 victory over the Dodgers in NLCS Game 4. Despite being blown out in Game 3, Atlanta's bounce-back effort in Thursday's Game 4 propels them to a 3-1 series advantage as they seek to advance to their first World Series since 1999. As expected, the Braves' winning formula proved once again to be solid pitching and timely hitting, much as they received in their  Game 1 and Game 2  victories earlier in the week. Meanwhile, the Dodgers' October opposition benefitted (once again) from the inability of star pitcher Clayton Kershaw to deliver in a clutch moment. Despite allowing only one run through five innings of work, Kershaw's solid outing quickly crumbled in the sixth, and reliever Brusdar Graterol was unable to stop the bleeding. With the score tied, 1-1 in the bottom of the inning, Braves' first baseman Freddie Freeman stepped to the plate hungry to deliver a clutc...

The Atlanta Braves defeated the Los Angeles Dodgers by the score of 8-7 in NLCS Game 2 on Tuesday. For the Braves, this evening's victory propels them to a flawless, 7-0 record thus far in the 2020 MLB Postseason. Despite Atlanta's Game 1 win coming courtesy of a ninth-inning rally, NLCS Game 2 proved to be much less stressful . . . for awhile. As the contest progressed, the Dodgers' greatest threat seemed to come in a pivotal third inning plate appearance, when Will Smith grounded into a force-out to strand the bases loaded. From that moment forward, it was all Atlanta, as the Braves' star-studded lineup sought to capitalize on Clayton Kershaw's absence (due to back spasms). The Braves' offensive onslaught began in the fourth inning, when Freddie Freeman launched a home run for the second consecutive night to make it 2-0. In the fifth, however, their lead became nearly insurmountable. Cristian Pache and Freddie Freeman both recorded RBI knocks before Los Angel...

The Atlanta Braves defeated the Los Angeles Dodgers by the score of 5-1 in NLCS Game 1 on Monday night. Both teams entered the contest with flawless postseason records of 5-0. The Dodgers swept the Brewers and Padres. The Braves swept the  Reds  and  Marlins . Thus, in Game 1 of the NLCS, something had to give. The first inning brought immediate joy to the Atlanta fanbase, as veteran Freddie Freeman shook off the rust with a solo shot to give the Braves a 1-0 edge. In the fifth, however, Dodgers' infielder Enrique Hernandez launched a solo blast of his own, knotting the score at one run apiece. Predictably, runs were difficult to come by in Monday night's matchup. Braves' starter Max Fried posted a truly impressive line (6 IP, 4 H, 1 ER, 2 BB, 9 SO). Meanwhile, Dodgers' starter Walker Buehler posted a respectable line in his own right, despite a high pitch count due to a plethora of walks issued (5 IP, 3 H, 1 ER, 5 BB, 7 SO). Nonetheless, Atlanta flexed thei...

For the first time since 2001, the Atlanta Braves are headed to the NLCS. Through the opening two rounds of the 2020 MLB Playoffs, Atlanta posts an impressive 5-0 record (including four shutouts): NL Wild Card Series Game 1: Braves 1, Reds 0 (13) Game 2: Braves 5, Reds 0 NL Divisional Series Game 1: Braves 9, Marlins 5 Game 2: Braves 2, Marlins 0 Game 3: Braves 7, Marlins 0 In NLDS Game 3 on Thursday, the Braves left no doubt that they belong amongst baseball's final four. Despite stranding the bases loaded in the second inning, Atlanta's offensive firepower seemed poised to break Miami's spirit in the ensuing innings. In the third, Atlanta scored four runs, including perhaps their biggest offensive contribution of the contest -- a two-run double from their red-hot catcher, Travis d'Arnaud. During this inning, Marcell Ozuna also drove in a run to extend his hot streak, and Dansby Swanson recorded a sacrifice fly for good measure. In the fourth, Atlanta struck again -- ...

The Atlanta Braves overcame the Miami Marlins by the score of 2-0 on Wednesday to take a 2-0 series lead in the NLDS (best-of-5). For Atlanta, it's been relatively smooth sailing thus far in the 2020 MLB Postseason. Following a  Freddie Freeman walk-off  in Game 1 of the National League Wild Card Series, the Braves dropped the hammer in Game 2 to sweep the Cincinnati Reds, winning their first postseason series in 19 years. Atlanta followed up their Wild Card Series success with an  explosive 7th inning  to propel them to victory in NLDS Game 1 against the Marlins. However, Wednesday's victory seemed to carry additional weight, as the Braves now stand only one win away from their first NLCS appearance since 2001. Though the scoreboard reflects a close contest, Game 2 was never truly in doubt. Dansby Swanson homered in the second inning, Travis d'Arnaud homered in the fourth, and the Braves carried their 2-0 lead throughout the remainder of the afternoon. However, per...

After defeating the Cincinnati Reds in the National League Wild Card Series, the Atlanta Braves entered Tuesday's NLDS contest poised to defy history. In recent weeks, there has been much talk of the Miami (Florida) Marlins' impressive playoff history. Despite 2020 serving as their third postseason appearance, the franchise has never lost a playoff series in its 28-year history -- winning two World Series titles and posting an overall series record of 7-0. Although Ronald Acuna Jr. went deep in Atlanta's first at-bat of Game 1 on Tuesday, the momentum quickly shifted in favor of Miami. Miguel Rojas knotted the score with a home run in the second inning -- and in the third, the Marlins tacked on three additional runs, courtesy of RBIs from Garrett Cooper and Brian Anderson. The Braves managed to cut into their deficit in the bottom of the third with a pair of RBI doubles from Marcell Ozuna and Travis d'Arnaud. However, Marlins' starter Sandy Alcantara helped his tea...

The Atlanta Braves defeated the Cincinnati Reds by the score of 5-0 in Game 2 of the National League Wild Card Series on Thursday. Atlanta's first postseason series victory since 2001 sends them to an NLDS match-up with the victor of the (3) Cubs - (6) Marlins series -- beginning on Tuesday, October 6. The Braves' offensive firepower was largely held in check in their  Game 1 victory , and for the majority of Game 2, the Reds stifled this team once again. However, it's pretty difficult to lose a series when your opposition fails to score -- and that's exactly what happened here. Atlanta's second consecutive shutout was largely due to the efforts of starting pitcher Ian Anderson, who went six scoreless innings -- allowing two hits, two walks, and striking out nine batters. The Braves broke the scoreless tie in the bottom of the fifth, when Ronald Acuna Jr. drove an RBI double to left-center field to score Austin Riley. And in the eighth, Atlanta buried any h...

The Atlanta Braves defeated the Cincinnati Reds by the score of 1-0 in Game 1 of the National League Wild Card Series on Wednesday. Despite Reds' starter Trevor Bauer pitching an absolute gem (7.2 IP, 2 H, 12 SO), the Braves managed to capitalize in the clutch moments of a scoreless contest. Atlanta didn't make an error on Wednesday afternoon. Their defensive capabilities were on full display in the seventh inning, when Austin Riley's diving tag prevented Aristides Aquino from breaking the scoreless tie. Meanwhile, the Braves also received a stellar performance from their young starter Max Fried (7.0 IP, 6 H, 5 SO). As the matchup crept closer to becoming the longest scoreless game in MLB postseason history, however, it was Atlanta's relievers who repeatedly dealt clutch strikes to escape jams. In the 11th inning, Tyler Matzek struck out Mike Moustakas to strand the bases loaded. In the 12th, Matzek struck out Freddy Galvis with two runners in scoring positi...