Tarik Skubal set the tone in brutal heat, and the Los Angeles Dodgers backed him with a power display to open the NL Division Series.
Skubal worked six sharp innings and the Dodgers beat the Atlanta Braves 5-3 in Game 1 on Saturday at Dodger Stadium. Teoscar Hernández, Kyle Tucker and Max Muncy all went deep, helping Los Angeles grab the first game of the series in conditions that were just as punishing as the matchup itself.
The temperature at first pitch hit 100 degrees, falling just short of the Dodger Stadium record of 103 degrees for Game 1 of the 2017 World Series. The feels-like reading reached 105, with umpires drinking water between innings and fans using giveaway towels to cover their heads under a clear sky. Skubal, though, handled it with ease.
The two-time Cy Young Award winner gave up one run and two hits, struck out seven and walked two in his first career home postseason start. His previous playoff outings had all come on the road for the Detroit Tigers, who dealt him to the two-time defending World Series champions just before the Aug. 3 deadline.
His 63 postseason strikeouts are the second-most by a pitcher through his first seven playoff appearances, trailing only Bob Gibson’s 74.
Atlanta, meanwhile, had to piece things together after its pitching plan was thrown off during a three-game NL Wild Card Series win over Philadelphia, where the Braves used ace Chris Sale in relief in the deciding game. That left the bullpen exposed, and the Dodgers made it count.
Teoscar Hernández broke things open in the fourth after Freddie Freeman drew a walk from losing pitcher Victor Mederos. Hernández launched a 431-foot shot to left-center to make it 2-0.
The Braves had only four hits all night. Sean Murphy cut into the lead with a two-strike homer to lead off the sixth, a 421-foot blast that made it 2-1.
Los Angeles answered right back. Kyle Tucker homered in the sixth, and two batters later Max Muncy added a solo shot off AJ Smith-Shawver to push the lead to 5-1.
Ohtani, still dealing with nagging arm and knee issues, hit second behind Mookie Betts. He lined out to second with a runner aboard to end the third and later flied out with a runner on in the fifth.
Atlanta got a late push in the ninth. Ronald Acuña Jr. singled to start the inning against Tanner Scott, then Ozzie Albies crushed a 432-foot homer to cut the margin to 5-3. Scott recorded two more outs before Evan Phillips got Austin Riley to ground out with a runner on and finished the save.
Braves starter Dylan Dodd gave Atlanta three scoreless innings, allowing only singles to Shohei Ohtani in the first and Betts in the third.
Game 2 is set for Sunday evening at Dodger Stadium, where an extreme heat warning remains in effect. The Braves had not announced a starter, while the Dodgers will send left-hander Blake Snell, a two-time Cy Young Award winner, to the mound.
In Other News...
Braves First Base Debate Just Got A Postseason Stage
Freddie Freemans return to an Atlanta postseason series adds a familiar twist to a Braves matchup that already carried plenty of weight. Freeman spent 2011 through 2021 with the franchise, then watched Matt Olson step into first base after Atlanta acquired him in 2022 and later locked him up on a long-term deal. It is the kind of transition that could have created awkward comparisons, but both players have handled it with obvious mutual respect, and the Braves have been able to move forward without spending much time looking back.
Now the Dodgers and Braves are set to meet in the National League Division Series, putting Freeman on the other side of the diamond from the team where he became a star. Olsons arrival gave Atlanta a new anchor at first, while Freemans continued excellence has only sharpened the sense of what this matchup means. Even with the business of the game settled, the emotional layer is hard to miss, and this series gives both players a chance to add another chapter to a first base story that has already spanned two eras in Atlanta. [Read more 🡒]
Braves Face A Massive Game 2 Decision After NLDS Opener
The Braves dropped the NLDS opener to the Dodgers, 5-3, and the game immediately pushed the focus from one loss to the next decision. Atlantas offense had trouble finding traction against Tarik Skubal, whose outing drew praise from Walt Weiss, while the bullpen choices late in the game became part of the larger conversation afterward.
Walt Weiss said the club is still sorting through how to manage the relief group as the series moves forward, and the bigger question is Chris Sales availability for Game 2. With Atlanta already chasing the series, the next pitching move carries real weight, and the Braves will need clarity quickly if they want to avoid falling into a deeper hole. [Read more 🡒]
Braves Fans Have Every Right To Question This October Pitching Call
After a bullpen-heavy night, Brian Snitker said the Braves were working with a depleted relief corps and pointed to injuries as part of the equation, which at least explains why the pitching map looked different in the next postseason game. The club clearly had to juggle fatigue, availability and the realities of October, when one misstep can reshape an entire series.
Still, that context only goes so far when the stakes are highest and Chris Sale is available to take the ball. In a game where every out matters, leaning on lower-tier arms instead of the most trustworthy option invites the kind of second-guessing Braves fans know all too well, especially when the outcome could hinge on one decision at the top of the pitching plan. [Read more 🡒]