Morton to start NLDS G1; Fried tabbed for G2
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ATLANTA -- Braves manager Brian Snitker confirmed on Saturday that right-hander Charlie Morton will start Game 1 of the National League Division Series against the Brewers.
Morton will seek more postseason success when Atlanta opens the NLDS on Friday in Milwaukee. Left-hander Max Fried will start Game 2 of the best-of-five series next Saturday.
The Braves could have given the Game 1 start to Morton or Fried, who has posted an NL-best 1.74 ERA in 14 starts after the All-Star break. But the difficult call was made easier by the fact the schedule allows either the Game 1 or Game 2 starter to return to start a potential Game 5 on Oct. 14 on regular rest or more.
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Morton posted a 2.77 ERA over his final 19 regular-season starts. He has posted a 3.38 ERA in 13 career postseason appearances, which includes 12 starts.
Much of the baseball world took notice of Morton while he helped the Astros win the 2017 World Series. Morton posted a 1.45 ERA over nine postseason appearances (eight starts) from Game 7 of the '17 American League Championship Series through Game 7 of the '20 ALCS (when he was with the Rays).