The Braves did enough in Los Angeles to put themselves in position to win this NLDS. They stole one game, leaned on the bullpen to get it done, and now head back to Atlanta with a chance to turn the series into a best-of-three with Chris Sale and Tyler Mahle set to take the ball at home.
But even with that setup, the path hasn’t been clean. Atlanta has gotten strong work from some key pieces, yet several others have made this matchup harder than it needs to be. If those bats and arms don’t pick up, a favorable position could start to feel a lot less comfortable.
Ronald Acuña Jr. has had moments this postseason. He’s used his legs, scored runs, and squared up balls that just happened to find gloves.
Still, the overall production hasn’t matched what the Braves need from him, and his bases-loaded double play in Game 2 with one out was a gut punch. Roki Sasaki got him to ground into it, and Atlanta never got the kind of big swing it was looking for.
Matt Olson is in a rough stretch at exactly the wrong time. He finished September with a .633 OPS in the regular season, and through this series he has only one hit against the Dodgers. The left-handed pitching hasn’t helped, but the Braves need him to do more, especially with Yoshinobu Yamamoto and others still in front of them.
Austin Riley’s wild card home run against the Phillies looked like the kind of moment that could kick-start him again. Instead, the last four playoff games have brought just one hit and three walks in 17 plate appearances.
Against the Dodgers, he’s 0-for-7 so far in the NLDS. The Braves need more than that from him, even if just to steady the middle of the order.
Lane Thomas was supposed to give Atlanta balance against lefties when the Braves traded for him. That hasn’t happened yet.
He hit .171/.261/.317 in 46 regular-season plate appearances, got hurt, then came back and went hitless through the first two games of the NLDS. Right now, it’s tough to see him filling the role Atlanta brought him in to play.
On the mound, Grant Holmes has not given the Braves what they needed when the opportunity came. When Ray Kerr exited his two “starts” this postseason, Atlanta was in control and looking for Holmes to cover some innings and protect the bullpen.
Instead, he came up short both times, including a Game 2 outing in which he got only two outs and allowed a homer. With that kind of performance, it’s no surprise the Braves aren’t trusting him much right now.
Victor Mederos is in a similar spot. The Braves clearly trust some bullpen arms more than others, and there’s a reason Didier Fuentes and Kerr have been used the way they have.
But those guys can’t carry every inning, and Mederos hasn’t helped ease that load. He allowed a walk, two hits and a homer while recording just one out in the playoffs, and that kind of outing makes it hard to keep going back to him as the pressure rises.
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-Dodgers Game 3 Just Took Two Unexpected Turns
The NL Division Series shifts to Atlanta with the stakes even again, and the broadcast booth is getting an unusual late change before first pitch. Joe Davis will not call Game 3 between the Dodgers and Braves because he lost his voice, so Kenny Albert is stepping in for the national telecast as the series heads to Tuesdays 6:00 ET matchup.
The on-field wrinkle is just as notable for a Braves team trying to seize control at home. Los Angeles is also altering its order, moving Shohei Ohtani into the fifth spot against Chris Sale, a move that adds another layer to a game already carrying plenty of pressure with the series knotted at 1-1. [Read more 🡒]