In Friday MLB playoff action, the St. Louis Cardinals and Atlanta Braves will play Game Two of their NLDS from SunTrust Park. In the series opener, St. Louis scored six runs over the final two innings and held on for a 7-6 road victory. Marcel Ozuna delivered a go-ahead, two-run double in the ninth inning for the Cardinals.
Twenty-three year old righty Jack Flaherty (11-8 2.75 ERA) will take the mound for the Cardinals in Game Two. Through 196 plus innings, Flaherty struck out 231 batters and ranked first in the National League with a 0.97 WHIP.
The Atlanta Braves won 50 of their 81 home games during the regular season and now will have to win at least one game on the road to win this best-of-five series. In Game One, Ronald Acuna Jr. and Freddie Freeman homered during a ninth inning rally that came up just short. Eight Atlanta pitchers gave up 14 hits and walked six batters in defeat.
Hard-throwing righty Mike Foltynewicz (8-6 4.54 ERA) will take the ball for the Braves on Friday. In five September starts, Foltynewicz was 4-1 with a 1.50 ERA and allowed just 15 hits in 30 innings.
