Joe Davis won’t be on the Fox call for Tuesday’s Dodgers-Braves NLDS Game 3 after losing his voice, according to The Athletic. Kenny Albert will step in for the broadcast.
That game has plenty of juice already. The series is tied 1-1, with Atlanta taking Game 2 after Los Angeles opened the matchup with a win. First pitch is set for 6:00 ET Tuesday.
On the mound, it’s a heavyweight pitching duel: Chris Sale gets the ball for Atlanta, while Yoshinobu Yamamoto starts for the Dodgers.
Los Angeles is also adjusting its lineup to deal with Sale. The team announced that Shohei Ohtani will hit fifth on Tuesday after struggling at the plate in the postseason.
Dave Roberts said he spoke with Ohtani about the move.
“I had a good conversation with him last night, told him my thoughts. And he completely understood and said, in all honesty, he said I was going to come to you in September and say, ‘Why don't you hit me seventh,'” Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said, per MLB.com.
Roberts expects a tight battle against Sale and said the key will be which offense handles the at-bats better.
“It's going to be a good fight,” Roberts said, per the outlet. “I think both pitchers are going to pitch well. And it's kind of who grinds out at-bats best.”
The Dodgers are chasing their third straight World Series title after winning the National League West this season. Atlanta won the NL East under first-year manager Walt Weiss and reached the NLDS by beating the Philadelphia Phillies in the Wild Card series.
In Other News...
Ronald Acua Jr. Reopened Braves Drama Before A Huge Game 3
Ronald Acua Jr. added a fresh layer of intrigue around the Braves on the eve of Game 3 of the NLDS, using a Spanish-language podcast appearance to share his thoughts on the coaching staff. The comments centered on someone who is no longer with the team, and while Acua and his co-host stopped short of naming the person, the discussion was pointed enough to spark immediate speculation.
For Atlanta, the timing is what makes it stick. With a huge postseason game coming, the remarks have pulled attention back toward a familiar off-field storyline, even though the exact target of Acuas criticism still has not been confirmed. It is the kind of sidelight that can follow a team into October, especially when the baseball itself is about to matter even more. [Read more 🡒]
Braves Had To Change Their NLDS Plan Around Ronald Acua Jr
Ronald Acua Jr. was supposed to be part of the Braves Game 3 NLDS formula in the outfield, but the plan shifted as the series moved on. Lingering knee soreness from a slide in a previous game pushed Atlanta to make a late adjustment, moving Acua to designated hitter and reshaping the rest of the lineup around it.
Sean Murphy was scratched and Lane Thomas was added in right field, while the Braves kept their catching duties aligned behind Chris Sale by leaning on Drake Baldwin. Murphy still remains in the mix as a pinch-hitting option, a reminder that even in October, one nagging issue can force a team to redraw its blueprint on the fly. [Read more 🡒]
Braves Are Suddenly One Loss From A Brutal Dodgers Exit
The Braves did a lot of the hard work early against the Dodgers in Game 2 of the National League Division Series, putting runners on and creating chances before the night slipped away in a 3-1 loss. Chris Sale gave Atlanta five innings and allowed three runs, but Los Angeles answered with Yoshinobu Yamamoto setting the tone over seven strong innings and striking out 10, leaving the Braves to settle for a frustrating split in the game and a 2-1 deficit in the series.
Atlanta now heads into Game 4 facing elimination, with Tyler Mahle expected to take the ball as the club tries to keep its season alive. The Braves will need a cleaner night in the biggest moments, because the missed opportunities early in Game 2 left little margin once the Dodgers settled in and took control of the series. [Read more 🡒]