ATLANTA — Trevor Bauer threw his first pitch — high and tight — well before the start of the Cincinnati Reds' wild-card series against the Atlanta Braves.
Asked to compare the challenges of facing Braves MVP candidates Freddie Freeman and Marcell Ozuna, Bauer just shrugged.
"I don't know," Bauer said Monday. "They're all tough outs. We can talk about that after we win the series."
Freeman, Ozuna, Ronald Acuña Jr. and others give Atlanta, the NL East champions, one of the most powerful lineups in the majors.
Bauer, Luis Castillo and Sonny Gray form a powerful rotation to challenge the Atlanta bats in the best-of-three series that begins Wednesday at Truist Park.