MLB Playoffs: Three storylines to follow Cincinnati Reds vs Atlanta Braves

The Reds tangle with the Braves in the first-round of the MLB Playoffs.

The Reds have not won a series in the MLB Playoffs since 1995. After winning the National League Central Division in commanding fashion behind NL MVP, Barry Larkin, the Cincinnati Reds swept the Los Angeles Dodgers in the NLDS.

They would go to the NLCS and be swept by the team that would win the World Series that year– the Atlanta Braves. That was the one postseason meeting between the two teams in the first year of the expanded divisional playoffs. Now, in another expanded postseason, they’ll meet again.

Against all odds, the Redlegs will step up to the plate on Wednesday at high noon to begin their 2020 postseason campaign. It’s as if March slid sports fans some of the Madness we were robbed of– and some of the Major League magic we’ve missed for the past seven years.

Wednesday’s MLB Playoffs schedule is a thrilling marathon, with eight games from 12:00 PM to 10:00 PM. For Reds fans, and Braves fans, it’s the beginning of another chance. Another opportunity.

The Cincinnati Reds and Atlanta Braves are two teams that are each looking to end a streak of bad juju in some areas, and each team is looking to keep the good vibes going in other areas. There are three storylines that will come to a head in this series. But which team can bend the narrative and break into the NLDS?

1. The Reds irresistible force meets the Braves immovable object.

The first is the most intriguing of any storyline you’ll find across the National League. It’s no secret the Cincinnati Reds have spectacular starting pitching and the Atlanta Braves have an electric lineup. Each team has been in the conversation of the NL’s dark horse but for those respective reasons.

It is worth noting just how dangerous the Braves offense can be. As a Reds fan, this can not be overlooked. We are talking about a team that put up 29 runs recently. Then, a week later they put up 15 runs!

The Braves lead the MLB in hits (556) and runs batted in (338). Out of all the teams in the postseason, their .268 batting average is the best. They were one of two teams to eclipse 100 home runs this season (103).

On the flip side, Cincinnati’s pitching is lights out. They’ll roll with the likes of soon-to-be NL Cy Young Award winner Trevor Bauer, Luis Castillo and Sonny Gray this series. All three of these pitchers rank in the top 15 for strikeouts in the National League.

Tyler Mahle just missed the cut, ranked at eighteenth-most strikeouts. Bauer’s 1.73 ERA is second-best in the National League while Luis Castillo’s 3.21 ERA is eleventh-best. Atlanta does not have a pitcher that ranks in the top 20.

As a team, Cincinnati ranks first in the National League in strikeouts (615) and second in ERA (3.84). Again, Atlanta ranks first in the National League in hits and runs batted in. If the ice cold Cincinnati pitching meeting up with the fiery Atlanta offense doesn’t create sparks, the home runs certainly will. The Braves have the second most home runs in the NL (103) and the Reds the fourth most (90).

Finally, Cincinnati will travel as the seventh seed to the two seed Atlanta Braves. Atlanta won their division. They also played exceptionally well at home going 19-11 and only losing two series at their Truist Park. But these are the Cincinnati Reds we’re talking about and they demand respect.

The Redlegs just waltzed into Minnesota and took two of three from the Twins. The Twins won their division and had only lost five games at home all season. They were about to break the record for best winning percentage at home– that is until the Reds came to town.

Who’s to say, with their best starting pitching, the Reds can’t handle the Braves the same way they handled the Twins? Or the White Sox for that matter. Chicago was leading the American League Central Division before traveling to Cincinnati and losing 2-of-3 to the Reds last week.

Some will say Atlanta has the bats. But the Big Red Machine is screaming down the rails with momentum. Cincinnati has shown they can barrel their way into anyone’s town and play ball. This should worry an Atlanta team that doesn’t have the pitching their opponents do and hasn’t won a season series against the Reds since 2014.

The MLB Playoffs got underway yesterday, but come Game 2 of the Reds series versus the Braves, it’ll officially be October baseball. There’s plenty of storylines to watch but the Reds have a chance to finally bend the narrative and roll with the changing winds of the season.

Winning the Wild Card Series will not only end the drought of playoff series wins, but can open the door to so much more we’ve been dreaming about. Atlanta can dream too but come Wednesday, Joey Votto and the Big Red Nightmare are pulling into the station.