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The Atlanta Braves clawed their way to the playoffs after a win in their final regular season game against their division rivals, the New York Mets on Monday. Meanwhile, the San Diego Padres remain one of the hottest teams in all of baseball. They will host Atlanta at Petco Park and are the top Wild Card seed.
Braves vs. Padres ALWS Game 1 recent form and records
A resilient Braves roster marred by injuries have not lost a series since Sept. 2 as they have won five and split two. They have been knocked out twice in the last two seasons in the AL Division Series by the Philadelphia Phillies and will be hoping to have a deeper run this year.
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The Padres had the best record since the All-Star break, losing just 20 of 63 games. They have lost just once in their last five series, to the Dodgers, who had the best overall record in the league.
Players to Watch
Starting Pitchers
Ian Anderson (probable) vs. Michael King
Chris Sale's injury has forced the Braves to promote a pitcher from the Triple-A. Ian Anderson is the most promising as he has a 1.26 ERA in 35.2 innings of postseason action but he hasn't been in the MLB since 2022.
Last Start: first appearance this season
Career vs. Padres: 1-0, 1.59 ERA, seven strikeouts in one appearance
Michael King has quietly worked his way to the position of the Padres' ace. The starter has earned just 13 runs with seven wins since July.
Last Start: vs. Dodgers, 5.0 innings pitched, three hits, 0 earned runs, two walks and three strikeouts
Career vs. Braves: 0-0, 0.0 ERA, three strikeouts in one appearance
Must-Watch hitters
Braves
Marcell Ozuna led the Braves in the three crucial offensive departments. He recorded a .302 average with 104 RBIs including 39 home runs in the regular season. The Braves also hit the fourth most home runs this season.
Padres
Despite losing Juan Soto to the Yankees, Manny Machado and Fernando Tatis Jr. provided much of the offensive relief along with NL Rookie of the Year candidate Jackson Merrill who has hit .290 with 90 RBIs and 24 home runs.
Braves vs. Padres ALWS Game 1 odds
Braves vs. Padres ALWS Game 1 expert picks and prediction
Chris Sale's injury certainly has dampened some fans' spirits in Georgia. When the veteran started, it would have almost meant a guaranteed win had the lineup properly backed him up. The Padres lineup will look to take advantage of the minor-league starter and take the series opener.
Runline: Under 1.5
Total Runs: Under 7
Prediction: Padres 3, Braves 2
