MLB Playoff Bracket 2019: Live Stream Schedule, Predictions for Sunday's NLDS

Both of Sunday's NLDS Game 3 matchups could be low-scoring affairs. 

Hyun-Jin Ryu, Adam Wainwright, Mike Soroka and possibly Max Scherzer are capable of twirling gems.

In Friday's Game 2s, St. Louis Cardinals, Atlanta Braves, Washington Nationals and the Los Angeles Dodgers combined for nine runs, with Mike Foltynewicz and Stephen Strasburg standing out on the mound.

Scherzer's status is the only one in question since he pitched an inning of relief Friday. Washington has not named a starter, but it will likely be him because of his minimal Game 2 workload.

Sunday NLDS Schedule

Game 3: No. 2 Atlanta at No. 3 St. Louis (4:10 p.m. ET, TBS) 

Game 3: No. 1 Los Angeles Dodgers at No. 4 Washington (7:45 p.m. ET, TBS) 

Games can be live-streamed on TBS.com and TBS app. 

Predictions

St. Louis 4, Atlanta 3

Wainwright carries an edge in experience over Soroka by 24 playoff appearances.

The two-time World Series winner has been effective in his NLDS outings at Busch Stadium. In his most recent NLDS home start, in 2013 against the Pittsburgh Pirates, he gave up one run on three hits in seven innings.

St. Louis manager Mike Shildt has confidence in Wainwright and Game 4 starter Dakota Hudson to shut down the Atlanta offense, per MLB.com's Anne Rogers:

"Really talking about experience. Waino has been really good. Both have been really good. That's the thing about our rotation, when you make these decisions. ... When we were sitting there talking about it, we do our due diligence and go through it rightfully so, but you look up, take a step back, and you go, 'We've got good starting pitching.'"

Wainwright comes to the mound with a bit more motivation as he attempts to erase a poor regular-season finale from his mind.

The 38-year-old called his concession of 12 hits and six runs to the Chicago Cubs "one of the most disappointing starts of my whole career," per ESPN 1000's Jesse Rogers.

To start September, Wainwright limited opponents to a single earned run in 27 innings over four starts. Three of those appearances were at home.

The Braves may be able to hit the right-hander, like they did May 16 in a 10-2 win at SunTrust Park. But that was more of an outlier for the hurler who gave up a maximum of three runs in 22 appearances.

Soroka could be more susceptible to a bad outing since he let up three runs or more in three of his past five starts, and Sunday marks his first playoff appearance.

The 22-year-old Canadian is starting Game 3 because of his 1.55 road ERA. The Cardinals could find some flaws in Soroka's game since he let up 25 hits in the past five starts on his travels.

St. Louis could also take advantage of Atlanta's bullpen in a tight game, like it did in Game 1, when it scored six runs.

Outside of Carlos Martinez giving up three runs Thursday, the Cardinals relievers have let up one over 3.2 innings.

If St. Louis wears down Soroka and gets to the Atlanta bullpen, it could call on Paul Goldschmidt, Paul DeJong and others to do damage in the latter innings to pull out a victory.

Los Angeles 4, Washington 1

Hyun-Jin Ryu held the Nationals to one earned run in 14.2 regular-season innings.

In his past two NLDS appearances, the left-handed hurler let up a single run to the Cardinals on eight hits in 2014 and to the Braves a year ago, and in five of his past seven road starts, Ryu held opponents to one or zero runs.

Ryu's performance could be the difference in a series wherein pitching strategy has already come into focus.

Scherzer tossed 14 pitches in his Game 2 appearance and Nationals manager Dave Martinez did not commit to starting him Sunday, per MLB,com's Zachary Silver.

"We'll see," Martinez said. "I talked to him now. I'm going to see how he feels tomorrow. We'll—I want to make sure he gets a night. He's working out right now, and we'll see how he feels tomorrow."

If Scherzer threw more, his status would have been a bigger concern. Nationals outfielder Adam Eaton backed up his teammate's strength after Game 2, per Mike DiGiovanna of the Los Angeles Times.

"He pitched one inning, guys," Eaton said. "One inning."

The 35-year-old gave up 12 runs in his final three regular-season starts, but in his lone meeting with the Dodgers, he fanned seven and let two runners cross the plate.

Even if Scherzer does not toe the rubber, Martinez's willingness to use starters in relief brings up a bigger question about the series.

If he employs the same strategy in Game 3, he could hurt his staff's chances of making long starts in Games 4 and 5.

That is significant because the Washington bullpen allowed four runs in Game 1. If Martinez has to rely on his relievers in Game 3 and beyond, the Dodgers could be at an advantage. In six innings, Los Angeles' bullpen has let up one run.

If Ryu and Scherzer are locked in a pitchers' duel and the game comes down to the bullpen, the Dodgers could have the edge because of their consistency.

Follow Joe on Twitter, @JTansey90. Statistics obtained from Baseball Reference.