Braves’ power bats stifled by Phils to open NLDS
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Kiley McDaniel, ESPN MLB Insider
The Phillies shut out the Braves 3-0 to win Game 1 of the National League Division Series in Atlanta. It was the first time the Braves, who own the best offense in baseball, have been shut out at home this season.
Left-hander Ranger Suarez started for Philadelphia and struck out four over 3⅔ innings. Five relievers held the Braves scoreless for 4 2/3 innings before former Atlanta pitcher Craig Kimbrel closed it out in the ninth.
Asked what explained Saturday night’s offensive performance, Braves manager Brian Snitker said, “I think it was more their pitching than our hitting,” and looked ahead to their potential challenge for the rest of the series.
“I think they did a great job of addressing their bullpen issues from last year, and they’ve got multiple weapons that they can go to,” Snitker said.
With an off-day between Games 1 and 2 in Atlanta, a deep bullpen can be even more impactful.
The Phillies continued their postseason edge over the Braves, after beating Atlanta 3-1 in the NLDS last season despite finishing 14 games back in the regular season in 2022 and again in 2023.
“This team, to a man, has this innate toughness to them,” Philadelphia manager Rob Thomson said. “They’re really resilient, and they just keep fighting. So it’s a great combination of talent and makeup that we have on this club.”
Controversy sparked in the eighth inning when Braves catcher Sean Murphy was called for interference, which led to the final Phillies run scoring. The call was upheld after replay, which led to a delay as Braves fans threw drinks all over the outfield at Truist Park.
After the game, Murphy told reporters of the catcher’s interference that, “I didn’t feel it, but I heard it,” which lined up with his decision to not argue the call on the field.
Spencer Strider turned in a quality start for Atlanta, going seven innings and allowing one earned run on five hits and two walks with eight strikeouts. The earned run was a homer to right field by Bryce Harper on an inside slider. The Phillies also went 5-for-6 on stolen bases after averaging less than one stolen base per game in the regular season.
It was a well-rounded effort that Harper noticed.
“I thought we ran the bases well,” he said. “I thought we played really good defense and just timely hitting and really good pitching.”
The Braves led baseball in runs scored with 947, the most since the New York Yankees in 2007. FanGraphs “Offense” stat, which combines all baserunning and hitting, adjusted for park and era, has the Braves’ 2023 offense as the best since the 1931 Yankees, which featured Lou Gehrig and Babe Ruth.
Phillies aces Zack Wheeler and Aaron Nola are slated to start Games 2 and 3, respectively. The Braves will start Max Fried in Game 2 and haven’t announced a Game 3 starter yet.
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Adam Rittenberg
Wisconsin starting quarterback Billy Edwards Jr., a transfer from Maryland, was ruled out of Thursday’s 17-0 home win over Miami (Ohio) after leaving in the first half because of a lower-body injury.
Edwards was injured on a noncontact play in the second quarter after he handed off the ball and then started running. His left leg buckled and he fell to the turf. Edwards, 6-foot-3, 228 pounds, went into Wisconsin’s injury tent before walking to the locker room.
He was not in uniform on the Badgers’ sideline during the second half, and was replaced by Danny O’Neil, a transfer from San Diego State.
When asked about Edwards’ status after the game, Wisconsin coach Luke Fickell told the Big Ten Network: “Don’t know anything as of now, but he’s out here with us. That’s a good sign.”
Wisconsin made a significant offseason push for Edwards, who started 11 games for Maryland last fall and finished second in the Big Ten in passing yards average (261.9 ypg) and fourth in completions (273). He earned 2023 Music City Bowl MVP honors in leading Maryland to a win over Auburn.
Edwards began his college career at Wake Forest before transferring to Maryland in 2022.
In 2024, the Badgers lost quarterback Tyler Van Dyke, a transfer from Miami, because of a torn ACL against Alabama in Week 3.
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Mark Schlabach
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Mark Schlabach
ESPN Senior Writer
- Senior college football writer
- Author of seven books on college football
- Graduate of the University of Georgia
LSU starting safety A.J. Haulcy will be suspended for the first half of Saturday’s game at No. 4 Clemson, the NCAA told ESPN on Thursday.
Haulcy, who transferred to LSU in May and was considered one of the top defensive players available in the portal, was suspended for a fight in his final regular-season game last year while playing for Houston.
The news came as a surprise to No. 9 LSU, as team officials were not informed of the suspension until Wednesday, sources told ESPN. The suspension leaves LSU without a key member of its secondary in a road game against Clemson’s Cade Klubnik, one of the country’s top quarterbacks.
Haulcy was ejected for his role in a fracas late in Houston’s 30-18 loss to BYU in November.
A few factors might have led to some of the ambiguity and confusion around the suspension. Haulcy was initially ejected for unsportsmanlike conduct, a penalty that wouldn’t generally yield a suspension. However, officials clarified after the game that Haulcy was ejected for fighting, which does result in a suspension.
Houston’s coaching staff was made aware of the classification of his ejection and the first-half suspension in December 2024 in a formal letter from the NCAA. According to sources, Haulcy says he was not informed.
Haulcy’s transfer to LSU in May also appears to have caused some communication issues on the suspension, though NCAA rules are clear that a suspension follows a player after a transfer and there is no appeal process.
Clemson finished No. 15 in the country in pass offense last season and returns Klubnik and a majority of its offensive weapons. LSU’s secondary was a weak spot last year, as the Tigers finished No. 76 nationally in pass defense.
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Eli Lederman
Five-star pass catcher Tristen Keys, ESPN’s No. 2 wide receiver in the 2026 class, flipped his commitment from LSU to Tennessee on Thursday afternoon, a source told ESPN.
Keys, who is 6-foot-3 and 190 pounds, is the No. 10 prospect in the 2026 ESPN 300. He is the second-ranked member of the Vols’ 2026 class, trailing only five-star quarterback Faizon Brandon, ESPN’s No. 8 recruit this cycle.
Keys, who is from Hattiesburg, Mississippi, had verbally committed to the Tigers since March 19. However, he maintained an open recruitment throughout the summer, speaking with multiple programs during official visits to Auburn, Miami, Tennessee and Texas A&M. With Keys’ flip, LSU has lost a five-star wide receiver pledge in consecutive cycles, after Dakorien Moore‘s decommitment in 2025.
Keys headlines a stacked pass-catching class that the Vols are building around Brandon, ESPN’s No. 3 pocket passer prospect. Keys joins Salesi Moa (No. 35 overall), Tyreek King (No. 52) and Joel Wyatt (No. 66) as the program’s fourth top-100 wide receiver pledge in 2026. Tennessee ranked 15th in ESPN’s class rankings for the cycle prior to Keys’ flip.
Keys caught 58 passes for 1,275 yards and 14 touchdowns in his junior season last fall, guiding Hattiesburg (Miss.) High School to Mississippi’s 6A state title game. He later participated in the Under Armour All-America Game and the Polynesian Bowl earlier this year.
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