Freddie Freeman's Walk-Off Single Lifts Braves Past Reds in 13-Inning Game 1

The Atlanta Braves are one win away from their first playoff series victory since 2001 after defeating the Cincinnati Reds 1-0 in 13 innings in Game 1 of the National League Wild Card Series. 

Freddie Freeman ended the scoreless tie with a walk-off single at Truist Park against Amir Garrett that scored Cristian Pache from third base.     

Any concern that the Braves had hit a wall after dropping three of their last four games during the regular season, including two straight to the Boston Red Sox, was quieted Wednesday. 

Cincinnati had its pitching staff lined up to shut down a potent Atlanta lineup. Trevor Bauer, a leading NL Cy Young candidate, was brilliant in September with one or fewer earned runs allowed in four of his final five starts. 

Neither offense packed much punch in this game. The teams combined for 17 hits, with the only extra-base hits being doubles from Nick Castellanos and Ronald Acuna Jr. 

On the pitching side, Bauer had 12 of Cincinnati's 21 strikeouts. He tossed 7.2 scoreless innings before giving way to the bullpen. Max Fried gave Atlanta seven shutout innings, scattering six hits with five strikeouts. 

Notable Player Stats

• Trevor Bauer (CIN): 7.2 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 12 K (103 pitches)
• Max Fried (ATL): 7 IP, 6 H, 0 R, 5 K (78 pitches)
• Freddie Freeman (ATL): 1-4, RBI
• Nick Senzel (CIN): 2-4, K
• Nick Castellanos (CIN): 3-6, 2B, K
• Ronald Acuna Jr. (ATL): 1-6, 2 K

Brilliant Pitching Carries Braves to Victory

Fried was under the spotlight because of the concerns about Atlanta's starting pitching depth. The team's starters had the lowest combined FanGraphs wins above replacement (2.0) during the regular season of any playoff team.

Fried and Ian Anderson were their only pitchers to post an ERA under 4.50 and make at least five starts. 

After pitching out of the bullpen in the past two postseasons, Fried took the reins as Atlanta's ace to start this playoff run. The 26-year-old went toe to toe with Bauer in a showdown in which neither pitcher blinked in their 14.2 combined innings. 

The Reds did put pressure on Fried throughout his seven innings but couldn't take advantage. Nick Senzel and Castellanos started the game with back-to-back singles, but the left-hander retired the next three hitters to get out of the first unscathed. 

While Fried and the bullpen were busy keeping the Reds off the board, Atlanta's potent offense got nothing going. It boasted one of the most dangerous lineups during the regular season, with an MLB-leading .832 OPS. The club ranked second with 348 runs scored. 

The top four hitters in the Braves lineup—Acuna, Freeman, Marcell Ozuna, Travis d'Arnaud—combined to go 3-for-20 with one RBI, eight strikeouts and one walk. 

However, they survived, and Anderson is a 22-year-old rookie who has pitched well beyond his years this season. If he and Fried can be an effective one-two punch at the top of the Braves rotation, the club has enough talent to make a deep playoff run. 

Missed Opportunities Put Reds on Brink of Elimination

Throughout the season, two things were true for the Reds: Their starting pitching was fantastic, and their offense was bad. 

Cincinnati ranked in the bottom 10 in MLB during the regular season with a .212 batting average, .312 on-base percentage and 243 runs scored. 

The Reds put pressure on Fried throughout the game. They had at least two runners on base with less than two outs in the first and seventh innings but failed to score either time. 

In the sixth and seventh frames, the Reds cost themselves with mistakes on the bases. Castellanos tried to get aggressive on a Joey Votto single to left field in the sixth by going for third base with one out, but Adam Duvall threw him out. 

In the seventh inning with two outs, Jesse Winker tried to steal second with Aristides Aquino on third base. The Braves got Winker into a rundown on a good throw by d'Arnaud and eventually got the third out when Aquino attempted to steal home. 

Given how well Bauer and Fried were pitching, baserunners were going to be at a premium for both teams. The Reds don't have the kind of potent offense that allows them to get away with making multiple mistakes on the bases. 

It's a shame, too, because Bauer gave the Reds exactly what they were hoping for in his first playoff start for the team. 

The Reds had late opportunities in three consecutive innings. They loaded the bases in the 11th and 13th with less than two outs both times and had their first two hitters reach in the 12th, but five of their six batters with runners in scoring position struck out. 

Jose Garcia grounded into a force out with two outs in the top of the 13th. 

Cincinnati finished the game 1-for-12 with runners in scoring position. 

When you're a team with an offense that has been limited all season going against the opponent's No. 1 starter, there's only so many mistakes you can afford before things turn against you. 

The Reds had every chance to take Game 1 and couldn't push even one run across. Now, they will send Luis Castillo to the mound with their campaign on the brink. The right-hander delivered during the regular season with a 3.21 ERA and 89 strikeouts in 70 innings and is heading into his first playoff appearance. 

What's Next?

Castillo will take the mound for the Reds against Anderson and the Braves at Truist Park in Game 2 on Thursday at noon ET.