As expected, Corbin Burnes will start Game 1 of NLDS against the Braves with Brandon Woodruff taking mound in Game 2
Tom Haudricourt
The Milwaukee Brewers announced Tuesday who would be their first two starters for the NLDS and the choices were not surprising. Cy Young Award favorite Corbin Burnes will pitch Game 1 on Friday with Brandon Woodruff going in Game 2 on Saturday.
After his final start of the regular season, a two-inning tune-up Saturday night in Los Angeles, Burnes was asked about the possibility of getting the ball for Game 1 against the Braves.
"If that’s the case, I’m going to go out there and give it everything I’ve got," he said. "I feel like I’ve done that for 28 starts this year. If I get the opportunity to get the ball, I’m going to go out and do my best to execute pitches and give us a chance to win a baseball game.
"The Braves are a good team and they’ve played some good baseball here at the end of the month to get into that postseason spot. If I get that opportunity, it will just be a normal start for me; go out and give it all I can."
Burnes went 11-5 with a 2.43 earned run average, the best in the major leagues, becoming the first Brewers pitcher to win an ERA title. He struck out 234 batters in 167 innings and finished in the top three in every important pitching category.
It was also a historic season in many ways for Burnes, who began the season with a record 58 strikeouts before issuing his first walk. He also tied the major-league record by striking out 10 hitters in a row in an Aug. 11 start against the Cubs at Wrigley Field.
Burnes also pitched eight innings of the Brewers' first no-hitter in 34 years in Cleveland on Sept. 11, with closer Josh Hader recording the final three outs when his pitch count climbed to 115.
Woodruff had the most deceiving won-loss record in the majors, going 9-10 because of horrid run support. More indicative of the way he pitched was a 2.56 ERA that ranked in the top five and 234 strikeouts in 167 innings, with a 0.965 WHIP.
Burnes and Woodruff each made only one start against Atlanta, coming on consecutive days on July 30-31 at Truist Park. Burnes allowed a season-high five earned runs in a game the Brewers won, 9-5. Woodruff surrendered three runs in 5⅓ innings the next day, a 2-1 loss, including a home run to Dansby Swanson after a missed strike call by umpire CB Bucknor that frustrated the pitcher.
The Brewers have not revealed their starters beyond the first two games. Right-hander Freddy Peralta regularly pitched in the No. 3 spot in the rotation during the season but scuffled a bit down the stretch after spending time on the injured list with a shoulder issue. Other candidates would be right-hander Adrian Houser and left-hander Eric Lauer.
Atlanta will go with veteran right-hander Charlie Morton (14-6, 3.34) in Game 1 and lefty Max Fried (14-7, 3.04) in Game 2.