Call it the Hank Aaron Series: The Braves will face the Brewers in the best-of-five National League Division Series, which opens Oct. 8 in Milwaukee.
The Braves (86-72) clinched their fourth consecutive NL East title with Thursday’s 5-3 win over the Phillies, their sixth straight victory. The Brewers (95-64), who had sole possession of first place in the NL Central since June 23, officially clinched Sunday. It will be the first postseason meeting between the Braves and Brewers.
The teams went 3-3 against each other this season. The Braves took two of three in Milwaukee back in May. The Brewers took two of three in Atlanta at the end of July - the same weekend the Braves remade their lineup with a flurry of deadline deals.
Milwaukee is led by co-aces in Corbin Burnes (11-4, 2.29) and Brandon Woodruff (9-10, 2.56). The Braves found success against both in the July series, scoring eight runs on 17 hits over 9-1/3 innings cumulatively. At that time, the Braves made Burnes’ ERA leap from 2.12 to 2.46, while Woodruff’s increased from 2.14 to 2.26.
“That’s a really good team there we just played,” manager Brian Snitker said after the series. “We had a chance to win the series. They’re riding their pitching, too. That’s a solid bullpen. Their starters are really good.”
The Braves have their own duo capable of matching Burnes and Woodruff. Charlie Morton and Max Fried have been stellar to close the season, giving the Braves a strong pairing atop their rotation that they lacked in their previous three October runs. Morton has a 2.81 ERA in five September starts. Fried’s 1.74 second-half ERA is best in the majors.
“I think you can stack our team up against anyone,” first baseman Freddie Freeman said. “You have to run through Charlie Morton, Max Fried, Ian Anderson, I like our chances. Our offense can put some runs on the board. I feel really confident going forward.”
The Brewers also have starter Freddy Peralta, who owns a 2.81 ERA in 28 games. The Braves would counter with Ian Anderson (9-5, 3.58), the winner of Thursday’s clinching contest. Both teams possess multiple high-end bullpen arms, with Milwaukee’s Josh Hader often considered the best reliever in baseball. The Braves’ Luke Jackson has his own case, as well.
Offensively, the Braves have an advantage. They have scored more runs (771 vs. 723), hit more homers (232 vs. 192) and own a sizably better OPS (.754 vs. .715). The Brewers’ star-studded pitching staff will try quieting an offense that’s helped the Braves recover from a poor start and qualify yet again for the postseason.
It’s perhaps fitting that October will feature a series between the two cities that Aaron represented in his decorated career. Aaron, a Hall of Famer, civil-rights activist and long-time home run king, died in January. Aaron started his career with the Milwaukee Braves, playing for the team from 1954-1965 until it relocated to Atlanta. Aaron was an Atlanta Brave from 1966-74, breaking the all-time home run record in 1974. He spent the final two years of his career with the Milwaukee Brewers.
In the other bracket, the winner of the NL West - either the Giants or Dodgers - will host the winner of the NL wild card game, which will feature the runner-up between San Francisco and Los Angeles against the Cardinals.
Below are dates and locations for the NLDS (times TBD):
Game 1: Friday, Oct. 8 at American Family Field
Game 2: Saturday, Oct. 9 at American Family Field
Game 3: Monday, Oct. 11 at Truist Park in Atlanta
Game 4: Tuesday, Oct. 12 at Truist Park in Atlanta (if necessary)
Game 5: Thursday, Oct. 14 at American Family Field (if necessary)
