Atlanta Braves vs. Cincinnati Reds: Simulating 2020 NLDS

Game 3 of the 2020 NLDS: Atlanta Braves slugger Freddie Freeman, but no Flowers.

As the series moved to Cincinnati, the Braves turned to Mike Soroka (9-13, 3.60) to give them a leg up. He was opposed by Reds left-hander Wade Miley (8-8, 3.61).  Miley beat Soroka and the Braves 5-1 in a complete game performance April 27 but lost to them 3-2 July 29.

The visitors, however, gave the Reds no opportunity to get comfortable at home. After Miley retired Albies on strikes, Inciarte reached on a sharp hit off the shin of Galvis, and Freeman followed with a 430-foot blast deep into the right-field seats.

The Braves weren’t done. Acuna walked, Ozuna, doubled him to third and with two out Flowers drew another base on balls. That brought up Swanson, whose line single to left set Acuna and Ozuna home with the inning’s third and fourth runs.

Miley’s efforts were terminated in the second when Freeman launched another fastball into the seats and Acuna drew another walk. That made the score 5-0 and summoned Trevor Bauer, who had been bypassed for the start in favor of Miley. He got Ozuna on a ground ball for the final out.

Soroka took full advantage of that lead, shutting out the Reds on a single hit through six innings.  Still, things were not entirely to Atlanta’s advantage. With one out in the third Bauerv hit Flowers with a pitch, fracturing his finger and knocking him out of the remainder of post-season play. That left d’Arnaud as the team’s only rostered catcher.

With Soroka sailing along, the Braves added two more runs in the sixth inning and a final one in the ninth for an 8-0 shutout victory Soroka allowed just three hits: a second-inning single by Aquino, Suarez’s seventh-inning double and a ninth-inning leadoff double by Votto. He walked only one.

Atlanta                 410         002         001 – 8 9  1

Cincinnati            000         000         000 – 0  3  0

W: Soroka. L: Miley.