Offense was hard to find but Freddie Freeman came through with a walk-off single in the 13th inning to give the Atlanta Braves a 1-0 win over the Cincinnati Reds in Game 1 of the National league Wild Card round. Trevor Bauer struck out 12 Braves over 7 2/3 innings but Max Fried matched him pitch-for-pitch. Then the bullpens picked up where the starters left off. Cincinnati had plenty of opportunities late but Atlanta’s bullpen rose to the occasion as they had throughout the season but it was Freeman who came through at the end putting a cap on what should be an MVP season.
The series will continue on Thursday with Game 2 scheduled for 12:08 p.m. ET from Truist Park. Ian Anderson will get the start for the Braves while the Reds will counter with right-hander Luis Castillo.