Atlanta Braves make tweaks to lineup that directly respond to Game 1 failures

ATLANTA — One of the biggest questions after the Atlanta Braves were shut out in Game 1 of the NLDS at the hands of the Philadelphia Phillies was what could have caused the temporary demise of the Atlanta offense.

With Ranger Suarez starting for the Phillies in Game 1 and not expected to go very deep into the game, Braves manager Brian Snitker shook up his lineup in advance of an expected bullpen game. Austin Riley was shifted to the second spot, with Matt Olson and Ozzie Albies sliding in behind him, shaking up what was a very consistent starting lineup throughout the season.

The result? Phillies pitchers landed just the third shutout of the season on the high-powered Braves and the first time Atlanta had not plated a run at Truist Park since August 28, 2021.

Return to normalcy for Atlanta Braves in NLDS Game 2 against Philadelphia Phillies

With Zach Wheeler starting for the Phillies on Monday night and given no pitch limits by manager Rob Thomson, Snitker reverted to a more familiar lineup for Game 2.

"It's a different starting pitcher," Snitker succinctly told media members about his thoughts on Game 1's lineup versus Game 2.

That well may be the case, but there's also another tweak worth noting. Travis d'Arnaud will catch Max Fried in Game 2, taking over for Sean Murphy behind the plate. The veteran catcher saw action in 63 games this season and got in 267 at-bats. Meanwhile, Murphy produced the fifth-highest bWAR on the team in 2023 (3.9) in 370 at-bats over 102 games as the backstop.

Murphy, however, struggled in Game 1 to keep Philadelphia from running wild on the bases, throwing out just one of the five Phillies who tried to swipe a bag on Saturday. He also went 0-for-3 at the plate, striking out once.

Snitker's choice at catcher, however, may be more about past history than the present. d'Arnaud is 7-for-18 lifetime against Wheeler, including 0-for-3 this season when he and Max Fried were the battery on September 12 in a 7-6, 10-inning road win.