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The injury-riddled Braves, trying to survive without Chris Sale, will send lefty Max Fried to the mound to battle Padres starter Joe Musgrove.

Our pick for Game 2 is the Braves run line.

TeamRun LineMoney LineTotal
Braves+1.5 (-210)+103O 7 (-105)
Padres-1.5 (+180)-113U 7 (-115)

Fried Faces the Team That Drafted Him

It’s easy to forget 12 years later, but Braves starter Max Fried — two-time All-Star, two-time top 5 finisher in the Cy Young Award voting, three-time Gold Glove winner, and 2021 World Series champion — was originally drafted by the Padres. He was selected 7th overall in 2012 and traded away in a flurry of deals by Padres GM A.J. Preller.

Now, he strides to the mound in San Diego hoping to pitch the Braves to a chance at advancing to the NLDS. He has been effective against the Padres in preventing home runs, only surrendering one to Manny Machado. That is Machado’s only career hit against Fried.

Batting champion Luis Arraez is 4 for 8 against him. Jackson Merrill is 2 for 2; Jurickson Profar is 3 for 8 with a double.

Musgrove Hopes To Repeat Wild Card Performance

Padres starting pitcher Joe Musgrove missed part of the season due to injury. He has been solid since his return. In 19 starts, he posted a 6-5 record allowing 94 hits and striking out 101 in 99.2 innings. He has a wealth of postseason experience from his time with the Astros and the past three years with the Padres.

In 2022, he authored a dominating performance against the Mets in the NL Wild Card series at Citi Field pitching 7 innings, surrendering 1 hit and no runs. Mets manager Buck Showalter had the umpires check Musgrove’s “shiny” ear suggesting he was using an illegal substance. They didn’t find anything and Musgrove laughed it off in the Padres series win.

They are understandably confident with him on the hill.

The Braves have not homered against him, with only Marcell Ozuna (6 for 17 with 3 doubles) and Matt Olson (3 for 9 with 1 double) having any measurable success.

Prediction: Braves Will Ride Fried To Win Game 2

Fried has had an inconsistent postseason history. That being said, the Padres have struggled against lefties, and Fried’s recent success should lead he and Ozuna to carry the Braves to a Game 2 win.

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