Across the way, Foltynewicz has looked much better since returning from a six-week stint in Triple-A. Over those 10 starts, “Folty” has a 2.65 ERA 3.24 K/BB ratio. In the 11 starts before his demotion, he had 6.37 ERA with a 2.50 K/BB ratio. Of late, he’s done a vastly better job of keeping the ball in the park. Elsewhere on the Atlanta side, Ronald Acuna and Freddie Freeman each homered in Game 1, which is promising given that they’ve both been dealing with injuries. 
Given recent history, it’s hard to bet against Flaherty, while it’s pretty easy to bet against the Atlanta bullpen. We’ll say the Cardinals go back to St. Louis on the verge of a sweep.
Pick: Cardinals 4, Braves 1

How to watch

Now let’s set the scene with some essentials. 

Preview

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Firday evening in Atlanta, the St. Louis Cardinals and Atlanta Braves are battling in Game 2 of the NLDS. The Cardinals eked out a win in Game 1 and lead this best-of-five affair 1-0. Thus, the Braves badly need a win in Game 2 before the series shifts to St. Louis. 

Prediction

Can the Braves get to Jack Flaherty? That’s the central question of Game 2. Flaherty comes in on full rest after shutting down the Cubs in the final game of the regular season. His overall numbers are strong, but that undersells how dominant he’s been since early July. Over his last 16 starts, the 23-year-old right-hander has pitched to an 0.93 ERA with 130 strikeouts against 24 walks in 106 1/3 innings. That’s an incredible level of dominance, to say the least. 
Date: Friday, Oct. 4 | Time: 4:37 p.m. ET
Location: SunTrust Park (Atlanta, Georgia)
TV: TBS | Stream: fuboTV (Try for free)
Odds: STL: -122 | ATL: +112 | O/U: 9
Starting pitchers: Jack Flaherty (STL) vs. Mike Foltynewicz (ATL)
Follow: CBS Sports App 



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