Rush hour in the ATL will be even busier this week when baseballs first-ever Wild Card game is played at Turner Field.
The Braves plan to have 45,000 foam tomahawks chopping in unison when they face St. Louis on Friday at 5:07 p.m. in the National League Wild Card game, to be televised nationally on TBS. The winner of the single-game playoff will advance to a best-of-five division series against Washington that begins Sunday in Atlanta or St. Louis, with a starting time to be announced.
Kris Medlen, who is 9-0 with a 0.97 ERA in 12 starts since moving from Atlantas bullpen, will start Friday against Cardinals right-hander Kyle Lohse (16-3, 2.86 ERA).
The first 45,000 ticket-holders through the gates will get a free foam tomahawk. Braves parking lots are sold out and will open five hours before the game, while stadium gates will open at 2:07 p.m., three hours before the first pitch. Country singer Travis Tritt, a Marietta native, will sing the national anthem.
The only tickets left for Fridays game as of Wednesday afternoon were standing-room only tickets ($18) and single-game suite tickets ($100, which includes a $25 food and beverage credit). Those are available online at
www.braves.com/postseason, or at the Turner Field ticket windows beginning at 8:30 a.m. Fans can also pick up pre-purchased tickets at the ticket windows, which will stay open until the end of the sixth inning.
The Braves strongly urge fans to arrive early, and for those who havent already purchased parking passes to take MARTA to the game. The MARTA Braves shuttle will run beginning 90 minutes before the first pitch from the Underground Atlanta/Five Points station, and continue until one hour after the games final out.
If the Braves advance to the division series, Games 1 and 2 would be at Turner Field Sunday and Monday. Fans can purchase tickets in postseason strips by calling 404-577-9100, or single-game tickets online at
www.braves.com/postseason