Drake

Baldwin

Either Drake Baldwin or Ronald Acuna Jr. has led off every postseason game so far, and Harris II has only led off 15 games all season for the Braves. Yet, the 25-year-old has been arguably the team’s best hitter in the playoffs, going 9-for-24 in six games with three extra-base hits, including a home run, four runs scored and four RBI. The Braves will hope he can provide a spark and stave off elimination. Baldwin will move down to fifth for Game 4.

There were some rumblings after Game 3 that Acuña Jr. would have to DH again in Game 4 due to soreness in his right knee. However, he had an MRI after the game, which apparently cleared him to be able to return to the field. With Acuña Jr. in the outfield, Sean Murphy will catch and bat ninth, and Drake Baldwin will DH. Mike Yastrzemski will also re-enter the lineup in left field with Ha-Seong Kim heading back to the bench.

Baldwin supplied Atlanta’s lone run against Dodgers ace Yoshinobu Yamamoto when he delivered a bases-loaded ground out in the fifth inning. He struck out twice and finished hitless in four at-bats. The Braves will attempt to even the best-of-five series when they host Game 4 on Wednesday night.

It’s the first start of the series for Smith, who has appeared as a pinch-hitter and struck out in each of the first two games. Mike Yastrzemski will also return to the starting lineup for Game 3 after sitting in Game 2. Sean Murphy and Ha-Seong Kim will open the game on the bench for the Braves. Here’s the full lineup that the Braves will deploy in a must-win game against Phillies’ right-hander Aaron Nola: Drake Baldwin (C), Ronald Acuña Jr. (RF), Matt Olson (1B), Michael Harris II (CF), Mauricio Dubon (SS), Mike Yastrzemski (LF) Austin Riley (3B), Ozzie Albies (2B) and Dominic Smith (DH)

This may not seem noteworthy, but Acuña Jr. has led off just three times since September 8th. That role is mostly held by Drake Baldwin. Baldwin will DH and hit second in this one, with Sean Murphy entering the lineup as the catcher and hitting eighth.

Despite the Phillies opting to use left-hander Jesús Luzardo as an opener, Baldwin will still be hitting leadoff for Atlanta to kick off the postseason. Mike Yastrzemski will also be in the lineup at DH, which makes sense with the Phillies turning to right-hander Andrew Painter after one or two inning from Luzardo at the outset of Game 1.

Braves’ skipper Walt Weiss is using Sunday to give several of his regulars a day off in advance of the start of the postseason, with Acuña, Drake Baldwin and Michael Harris II all sitting. Brewer Hicklen will start in Acuña’s place in right field and will bat eighth against Marlins’ right-hander Janson Junk.

Baldwin’s home run was his 25th of the season. He hit a two-run shot off Bradley Blalock in the ninth inning. Baldwin is hitting .284 with 25 home runs, 85 RBI, 79 runs scored and three stolen bases. He established himself as one of the best hitting young catchers in all of baseball this year.

Atlanta’s lead is back up to five games in the NL East. The Braves scored once in the bottom of the ninth to tie the game. Both teams then scored single runs in the 10th before the Braves bested the Phillies 2-1 in the 11th, with Ha-Seong Kim delivering a line-drive single to tie the game prior to Baldwin’s walkoff. The Braves won the game without the DH, as Baldwin moved from there to catcher after Sean Murphy was lifted for a pinch-runner.

Baldwin turned on a sinker low and in from Griffin Jax for a 419 foot moonshot in the fourth inning. Otherwise, the Braves struggled to get anything going against Jax or the Rays’ bullpen. Nevertheless, that was Baldwin’s 23rd home run of the season to go along with 71 RBI, a .271 batting average, and .805 OPS as one of the most productive catchers in the game.