High-powered Braves handed rare shutout loss in Game 1

This is the third consecutive year the Braves have lost Game 1 of the NLDS. They bounced back against the Brewers to advance and eventually win the World Series in 2021, but last year’s immediate setback proved destructive as the Phillies won the best-of-five series, 3-1.

Strider was seen yelling at Braves pitching coach Rick Kranitz after allowing the Phillies two runs (one earned) over seven innings. The right-hander made an errant throw with the questionable pickoff attempt he made with an 0-2 count and two outs in the fourth. This set the stage for Bryce Harper to score on Bryson Stott’s single. Harper also homered with one out in the sixth.

The Braves were the first AL/NL team to produce a .500 slugging percentage, and they matched an AL/NL record with 307 homers. But they were silenced by the Phillies No. 3 starter Ranger Suárez and a collection of relievers.

After being blanked just twice during the 162-game regular season, the Braves were shut out in this postseason opener. Suárez was pulled with two on and two outs in the fourth. He breathed a sigh of relief, two batters later, when Michael Harris II struck out with the bases loaded. Atlanta became the third team in MLB history to be shut out in Game 1 of a postseason (joining the 2001 Mariners and the 1935 Tigers) after leading the Majors in runs per game, per the Elias Sports Bureau.