The Atlanta Braves scored early and kept the Houston Astros’ powerful offense in check throughout a Game 1 win on Tuesday. The Astros look to even the World Series at home on Wednesday night while the Braves can take a commanding 2-0 lead back to Georgia.
Game 2 is scheduled for 8:09 p.m. ET at Minute Maid Park and will be televised by FOX.
The Braves ended an eight-game World Series losing streak with their first win since 1996 and now hand the ball to 14-game winner Max Fried. The Astros counter with Jose Urquidy, instead of throwing Luis Garcia on short rest. Urquidy went 8-3 with a 3..62 ERA in the regular season.
Braves in Driver’s Seat
The Braves got off to a great start with a leadoff home run from Jorge Soler on Tuesday, and two total runs in the first inning. Charlie Morton gave a stellar effort on the mound, but a broken leg will sideline him for the rest of the series, impacting the Braves rotation should the series reach Game 5.
Eddie Rosario continued his torrid hitting in Game 1 as he was 2-for-5 with a double and a run scored. The NLCS MVP has at least one hit in all 11 playoff games this season. Soler added a single to his homer while Ozzie Albies had two hits, and Adam Duvall went deep for the Braves in Tuesday’s win.
Fried struggled against his hometown Dodgers in Game 5 of the NLCS, an 11-2 loss. He allowed five earned runs on eight hits over 4 ⅔ innings as the series shifted back to Atlanta. Fried won eight decisions in a row before the Dodgers loss, including an NLDS win over the Brewers.
Astros Hot Offense Shut Down in Opener
Houston ranked as the top offense against left-handed pitching in four of the last five seasons. Even their lefties hit well against lefties which sets them up well against Fried on Wednesday. They scored just two runs on Tuesday after crushing the ball in the final three games of the ALCS.
Yuli Gurriel stayed hot in Game 1 as he collected two hits. He is batting .349 in the postseason and has four multi-hit games in a row.
The Astros had eight hits in the opener, but they came from just four players. Michael Brantley had three hits, while Gurriel and Kyle Tucker both had two. Yordan Alvarez had a triple, but the Astros drew just three walks and scored just twice in the loss.
Urquidy won his last four regular-season outings but has pitched just once in the playoffs. After not being used in the ALDS against Chicago, Urquidy was knocked around by the Red Sox on October 18. He allowed six runs, five earned, on five hits over 1 ⅔ innings while walking two.
Betting Analysis
- Atlanta Braves +1.5 run line (-200) +100 money line
- Houston Astros -1,5 run line (+170). -120 money line
- Run total; 8.5 runs over -120. Under +100
The Braves offense went to work immediately in the opener and will look to do the same against Urquidy on Wednesday. Houston has been great against lefties and need to have a fast start against Fried to snatch the momentum. Both bullpens were used up in the opener, so manager decisions on Wednesday will be crucial as well.
Betting Pick: Astros money line -120
Keep up with your latest MLB news coverage and betting pick previews at NJ SportsbookReview.com.