Michael Harris II gave Atlanta the jolt it needed on Sunday, and the Braves rode that spark to a 3-2 win over the Dodgers in NLDS Game 2.
The victory evened the series at 1-1 and sends it to Truist Park in Atlanta for Game 3 on Tuesday.
Atlanta got moving right away. Mauricio Dubón opened the scoring in the first inning with an RBI infield single off Blake Snell, and the play turned into a run when Mookie Betts dove to make a stop but threw wide to first, allowing Ronald Acuña Jr. to score from third.
The Dodgers answered in the fourth when Freddie Freeman tied it with a solo home run off Grant Holmes. The blast to deep right field was Freeman’s second homer since the All-Star break.
That was the last time Los Angeles was level.
Harris took over in the fifth. With two outs, he lined a triple to the left field corner past Teoscar Hernández off Kris Bubic, then came home on a wild pitch to put Atlanta back in front. The Braves added another run in the seventh when Harris delivered again, this time with an RBI double off Edgardo Henriquez that brought in Matt Olson.
Los Angeles made one last push in the ninth. Max Muncy trimmed the margin to 3-2 with a solo homer off Didier Fuentes, but Raisel Iglesias closed it out with the final out.
Atlanta’s bullpen had already done important work. Robert Suarez struck out Hernández in the fifth to get out of trouble, and Roki Sasaki helped the Dodgers avoid further damage in the eighth by getting Ronald Acuña Jr. to ground into an inning-ending double play.
Dylan Lee earned the win, Kris Bubic took the loss, and both clubs finished with six hits. Game 3 is set for 6 p.m. ET Tuesday on FOX, FS1, and FOX One.
In Other News...
Braves Fans Have Every Reason To Mock What Dodgers Crowd Did
Game 2 of the NLDS had the kind of tense, one-run feel that usually keeps a crowd planted in its seats, but a lot of Dodgers fans headed for the exits before the finish. Atlantas bullpen did its job in support of a narrow lead, and the game stayed close enough that every pitch carried real weight. For Braves fans watching from home, it was the sort of scene that invites a little side-eye.
Atlanta crowds have long had a reputation for sticking with their team through uncomfortable October moments, so seeing the home sides opponent clear out early only sharpened the contrast. It was a reminder that playoff baseball can turn quickly, and that the final innings often say as much about a crowd as they do about the score. [Read more 🡒]
Braves Suddenly Have Tough 2027 Calls On Two Familiar Arms
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The broader list also puts a few other names under the microscope, including Luke Williams and James Karinchak, as Atlanta sorts out who still fits at a cost that makes sense. For a club that has spent plenty of time balancing depth, roster flexibility and payroll, these arbitration calls can end up being less about sentiment than about which players are worth keeping in the mix when the price tag starts to climb. [Read more 🡒]
Braves Just Sent The Dodgers A Message With This NLDS Response
The Braves answered their Game 1 setback the way October teams have to, with a narrow win that changed the feel of the series in a hurry. Atlantas 3-2 victory over the Dodgers in Game 2 evened the National League Division Series, and it came with Michael Harris II setting the tone at the plate with three hits while the lineup did just enough to support a staff effort.
Atlanta pieced the rest together on the mound, using six pitchers to hold Los Angeles to two runs. Ray Kerr handled important work in the middle, and rookie Didier Fuentes also logged significant innings, giving the Braves a needed bridge through a game that stayed tight throughout. After the way the series opened, this was the kind of response that reminded everyone Atlanta is not going quietly. [Read more 🡒]