Braves - Dodgers Notes - Part Two

GAME 1: The Braves have won Game 1 in each of their two playoff series this season, including beating Miami, 9-5 in the opener of the NLDS...The Braves beat Cincinnati, 1-0, in 13 innings in the opener of the Wild Card Series, to snap a string of nine consecutive losses in Game 1 of a postseason series that dated to the 2001 NLDS vs. Houston (that streak does not include a loss in the Wild Card Game in 2012). 

The Braves are now 17-21 (.447) in postseason series openers, including the 2012 NL Wild Card Game...They are 13-4 (.765) in a series when they win Game 1 and 3-17 (.150) when they drop the opener. • Atlanta is 4-7 (.364) in Game 1 of the NLCS...The Braves last won Game 1 of the LCS in 1999, beating the Mets, 4-2. • They last won a series when dropping Game 1 in 1999, when they lost 6-1 vs. Houston in the NLDS before going on to win the next three games...They last lost a series when winning the opener in 1996, when they won the first two games of the World Series at Yankee Stadium, before dropping the next four. 

WINNING STREAK: Atlanta has won all five of its postseason games this season, the longest playoff winning streak for the club since winning six straight games in the 1999 playoffs and the longest by the club to ever open a postseason. • The Braves’ current playoff winning streak is tied for the third longest in franchise history, and trails just the six-game streak in 1999 and a franchise-most seven consecutive wins in 1995. 

The club has won five straight playoff games three times previously, doing so last in the 1996 playoffs... The Boston Braves won five straight postseason games between 1914 and 1948, and Atlanta also won five straight between the 1995 and 1996 playoffs. 

CHAMPIONSHIP SERIES: The Braves swept the Marlins in the NLDS and advanced to their first National League Championship Series since 2001…This year marks Atlanta’s 12th trip to the NLCS, and the Braves are 5-6 over their first 11 series. • The Braves have played 60 games as a franchise in the League Championship Series, fifth most in baseball...Only the Yankees (90), Cardinals (81), Dodgers (68) and Red Sox (62) have played more. 

Atlanta is 27-33 (.450) all-time in the LCS, including a 7-12 record (.368) record over its last 19 games. • Hank Aaron holds the franchise record for homers (3) and RBI (tied, 7) in a single LCS, doing so in 1969 against the Mets...Fred McGriff also drove in seven during the 1996 series vs. St. Louis. • Five Braves have been named NLCS MVP, with Eddie Pérez doing so last in 1999...Steve Avery (1991), John Smoltz (1992), Mike Devereaux (1995) and Javy López (1996) also earned the honor.