Everything you need to know about the Miami Marlins-Atlanta Braves NLDS matchup
The Miami Marlins and the Atlanta Braves begin their best-of-5 National League Division Series on Tuesday at Houston’s Minute Maid Park. Here’s what you need to know.
What are the game times and TV information?
As of Monday, the game times and television broadcasts for the series are broken down as follows:
▪ Tuesday: 2:08 p.m., Fox Sports 1
▪ Wednesday: 2:08 p.m., MLB Network
▪ Thursday: 2:08 p.m., Fox Sports 1
▪ Friday (if necessary): 2:08 p.m, Fox Sports 1
▪ Saturday (if necessary): 4:08 p.m., Fox Sports 1
It’s worth noting, however, that the times for Games 3-5 can be fluid depending on how the other three playoff series unfold.
Wait! What if I don’t have MLB Network and want to watch Game 2?
You’ll most likely still be able to watch the game, whether it’s on your TV or through an Internet live stream. According to an MLB press release:
“To make MLB Network’s Postseason coverage, including its two NLDS game telecasts, available to more viewers, MLB Network has partnered with several of its distributors to expand their existing carriage by providing a free preview of MLB Network from Oct. 3-17 to video customers of AT&T U-verse, Altice (Optimum), Comcast, Cox, DirecTV, DISH Network, fuboTV, RCN, Sling TV, Verizon Fios and many others, bringing MLB Network’s distribution for that period to more than 80 million homes. MLB Network’s NLDS game telecasts are also available anywhere in the United States via an authenticated live stream to customers of participating pay TV providers through the MLB app, MLBNetwork.com/Watch and MLB.TV.”
More information can be found here.
How did the regular-season series unfold?
The Braves went 6-4 against the Marlins this season, going 2-1 at Marlins Park and 4-3 at Truist Park. While the lopsided Atlanta victories have been noted (mainly the 29-9 win on Sept. 9), four of the 10 games were decided by either one or two runs.
How did both teams get here?
The Braves reached the playoffs by winning the NL East, their third consecutive division crown. They went 35-25 in the regular season and earned the No. 3 seed as the division champion with the lowest record. Atlanta swept the Cincinnati Reds in the wild card round by scores of 1-0 (13 innings) on Wednesday and 5-0 on Thursday.
The Marlins, who went 31-29 on the season, earned an automatic bid and the No. 6 seed in the extended playoff format by finishing as the NL East runner-up. Miami swept the Chicago Cubs 5-1 and 2-0 at Wrigley Field in the wild card round.
Who are the starting pitchers?
The Braves will be rolling out Max Fried, Ian Anderson and Kyle Wright in that order for the first three games of the NLDS. The Marlins will go with Sandy Alcantara, Pablo Lopez and Sixto Sanchez in that order for the first three games.
Things will get interesting after that. The Marlins have pitching depth to go the full series, with top prospects Trevor Rogers, Braxton Garrett, Nick Neidert and potentially even Edward Cabrera available to either start or throw multiple innings out of the bullpen.
The Braves, meanwhile, have struggled to find consistent starters for the back end of their rotation. Atlanta manager Brian Snitker even told reporters there’s the possibility that the Braves will have to go with a bullpen game should the series extend beyond three games.
Why is the series being played at a neutral site?
MLB and the MLB Players Association agreed to stage the expanded postseason beyond the wild card rounds in hub cities/bubbles/neutral sites in order to minimize travel because of the ongoing coronavirus pandemic.
The two National League series are being played at Houston’s Minute Maid Park (Marlins-Braves) and Arlington’s Globe Life Field (Dodgers-Padres) while the American League matchups are being played at San Diego’s Petco Park (Yankees-Rays) and Los Angeles’ Dodger Stadium (Athletics-Astros).
The National League Championship Series will be held at Globe Life Field, and the American League Championship Series will be held at Petco Park. The World Series will be in Arlington.
Since there is no travel required between series, the off days that are generally in place after Games 2 and 4 have been removed. The same will be true for the best-of-7 League Championship Series. The World Series, however, will still have its usual off days after Games 2 and 5 (if necessary).
Who will be the home team?
The Braves, as the higher seed, will be the home team for Games 1, 2 and 5 (if necessary). The Marlins will be the home team for Games 3 and 4 (if necessary).
This story was originally published October 5, 2020 at 1:40 PM.
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