The Braves had the Cardinals right where they wanted them in Game 1 of the NLDS on Thursday, carrying a 3-1 lead into the eighth inning. The back-end of the bullpen became a strength for the club after the July 31 trade deadline, so there was reason to have some confidence as Chris Martin made his way to the mound for his warm-up pitches. Martin actually never threw a pitch in the eighth, as he suffered an oblique injury during his warm-ups.