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LOS ANGELES (AP) — Rather than pop http://www.stlouiscardinalsteamshop.com/authentic-keith-hernandez-jersey , Ronald Acuna Jr. started the game with a popup. The big-hitting rookie never got into the swing at Dodger Stadium, and neither did the rest of the Atlanta Braves.Hoping to break loose in their first postseason appearance since 2013, the Braves instead were blanked on six singles Thursday night, losing 6-0 to the Los Angeles Dodgers to begin the NL Division Series.Acuna and fellow rookie Ozzie Albies were held in check, as were veterans Freddie Freeman and Nick Markakis. Atlanta never got a runner past second base against Hyun-Jin Ryu and trio of Los Angeles relievers.Acuna, who was 0 for 4 and struck out twice, said he didn’t think there was any pressure participating in his first postseason game.“Never, to be honest. I don’t see any need to put any unnecessary pressure on ourselves,” he said.Two hallmarks that propelled the Baby Braves to 90 wins and the NL East title were nonexistent in Game 1 — solid starting pitching and timely hitting.Atlanta though has continued a late-season offensive slump as this was the third time in the past six games they have been shut out. The Braves have scored three or more runs just once in their past six.All-Star Mike Foltynewicz, Atlanta’s best pitcher all season, allowed four runs on three hits in two innings. The right-hander Bob Gibson Jersey , who had not allowed a home run in four of his last five starts, allowed two longballs, including a leadoff drive by Joc Pederson on his third pitch.Foltynewicz threw 28 pitches in the first and almost didn’t get out of the inning. He loaded the bases with two outs before striking out Yasiel Puig. Foltynewicz got into more trouble in the second inning, allowing a three-run shot to Max Muncy after hitting Pederson with a pitch and walking Justin Turner.Foltynewicz said that he had the same feelings as if it were a regular start, but manager Brian Snitker thought that pitching in his first postseason game might have gotten to him.“I think he was amped up, overthrown, got out of the delivery a little bit,” Snitker said. “He got hurt quick, really. I mean, we’re lucky he got out of the first inning. But, you know http://www.stlouiscardinalsteamshop.com/authentic-willie-mcgee-jersey , it was just a situation there you get behind against a guy like that, we were just trying to try and stop the bleeding there a little bit.”The 20-year-old Acuna reached on shortstop Manny Machado’s error to lead off the sixth but was caught stealing when he missed a sign from third base coach Ron Washington.“It was just a kid, I think, that was out there and thinking that his teammate’s going to put that ball in play and he’s going to try to help make something happen,” Snitker said of the missed sign.The 21-year-old Albies was 1 for 4 and 24-year-old Johan Camargo was hitless in four tries.Snitker’s overall assessment of his team?“I think they were jacked up and excited, and it’s a big moment to this point in their career, Folty included. And take nothing away from what he did all year, I mean. And it was good for him to experience this,” Snitker said.“And I think guys now, since we have experienced it, they’ve been through a lot Mike Matheny Jersey , they’ve come back a lot all year,” he said. “And I think they’ll come back with a little more sense of what we’re in for tomorrow.”Sean Newcomb, mentioned by Snitker before Thursday’s game as a possibility to start Game 3 on Sunday, was the first pitcher out of the bullpen and went two innings. That would leave Kevin Gausman and Julio Teheran as the likely starters.The Braves’ task of evening up the series on Friday could be one of their more difficult games of the season as they face Dodgers ace Clayton Kershaw.“I think everyone knows we have our hands full,” said Freeman, who was 1 for 4. “It was nice to get the first game out of the way. A lot of young guys got their first playoff game so hopefully we can score some runs tomorrow.”Anibal Sanchez, who will start for the Braves, didn’t seem that fazed about the matchup.“I don’t think too much about the pitchers that I’m going to face. I just try to keep my mind on the hitters that I’m going to face against Dodgers,” Sanchez said before Thursday’s game. “I think they got a pretty good lineup. It’s no doubt how good Kershaw is and what he’s been doing for his whole career. But at the end, I don’t want to put that impression in my mind.” SAN FRANCISCO — The San Francisco Giants get a chance to play the role of spoiler against the Colorado Rockies for the second straight September when the National League West clubs open a three-game series on Friday night.Giants right-hander Chris Stratton (9-9, 4.99 ERA) http://www.stlouiscardinalsteamshop.com/authentic-red-schoendienst-jersey , bombed in back-to-back starts against the Rockies earlier this season, and Rockies left-hander Tyler Anderson (6-8, 4.89), winless in his last 11 starts, draw the starting assignments in the opener.The Rockies (81-65) begin a nine-game trip in first place in the NL West, having moved a healthy 4 1/2 games up on third-place Arizona (77-70) with a 10-3 shellacking of the Diamondbacks Thursday at Colorado to complete a 3-1 series win.Article continues below ...The Los Angeles Dodgers (80-67) are in second place, 1 1/2 games behind the Rockies.The Rockies will visit Los Angeles and Arizona for three games apiece next week to complete its road — and NL West — schedule. Colorado finishes the season at home against Philadelphia and Washington.The Rockies found themselves battling the Diamondbacks, Cardinals and Milwaukee Brewers in mid-September last season when they went into San Francisco and lost two straight to a Giants team well out of contention.Colorado then had to scramble just to claim the second wild-card spot in the NL by one game.This year’s San Francisco club finds itself in the same situation, having lost a West Coast era-record 11 straight.Stratton has started two of those games and pitched pretty well in 4-1 and 4-3 losses to the New York Mets and Milwaukee Brewers, respectably. He allowed just seven hits in 11 innings in those games.That was a marked improvement over the 13 runs and 19 hits he gave up in 9-8 and 8-1 losses in a home-and-home sequence with the Rockies bridging June and July. Nolan Arenado homered in both of the games. The star third baseman hasn’t been the only Colorado player who has rocked the 28-year-old Stratton in the past. Ian Desmond (.625), Trevor Story (.556) Enos Slaughter Jersey , Charlie Blackmon (.500), DJ LeMahieu (.500) and Gerardo Parra (.500) all have .500 or better career batting averages against Stratton.He has gone 1-1 with a 7.89 ERA in five games, including four starts, in his career against Colorado.Anderson will face a Giants team that has hit even worse than he has pitched of late.The 28-year-old hasn’t won since July 4 and now leads the NL in home runs allowed with 29.He was taken deep by the Giants’ Gorkys Hernandez in a 9-8 Rockies home win on Sept. 3. Anderson did not get the win, pulled after 5 1/3 innings having allowed three runs and six hits.Anderson has made six starts in his career against the Giants and went 1-2 with a 4.25 ERA.Hernandez has two career homers against him in 10 career at-bats.The Giants enter the series having scored one run in five straight home games. They’ve totaled just nine home runs (none in the last three outings) during their 0-for-September run of 11 games.