The Braves left Los Angeles with exactly what they needed: a 3-2 win over the Dodgers on Sunday night at Dodger Stadium, a bullpen game that somehow held together, and a split that sends the National League Division Series back to Atlanta tied 1-1.
That puts the series in a very different place than it was supposed to be after two games. Atlanta now gets Games 3 and 4 at home, with Chris Sale and Tyler Mahle lined up to start. The Dodgers, meanwhile, are set to turn to Yoshinobu Yamamoto and Tyler Glasnow.
So yes, Braves manager Walt Weiss had plenty to feel good about. His warning after the game, though, stretched the point a bit.
“We've got to face more Cy Young Award winners for them,” Weiss said via USA Today. “Every starter on their staff is a Cy Young guy. It doesn't get any easier, but I like the fact that we go back home even and we have Chris Sale.”
The broader message is fair enough: Atlanta has earned a chance, but Los Angeles still has a nasty rotation. Yamamoto is scheduled for Game 3, Glasnow is expected in Game 4, and a possible Game 5 would bring Tarik Skubal into the mix.
What Atlanta did in Game 2 also served as a reminder that this series won’t be decided by assumptions. Ray Kerr started the game and gave the Braves 2 2/3 scoreless innings, and Didier Fuentes came in to work nearly four more shutout frames.
Michael Harris II did his part, too. He singled, doubled and tripled, scored a run and drove in another, giving Atlanta the kind of all-around spark it needed to steal the game.
Now the Braves are in position they could hardly have expected after two games: back home, tied in the series, and holding the kind of home-field edge that changes everything in a best-of-three setup.
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 🡒]