The Braves got plenty of headline material out of their Game 2 win over the Dodgers, but one of the biggest developments may have slipped under the radar.
Michael Harris II kept building his October résumé with three more hits, giving him eight in five postseason games. Didier Fuentes, just 21, made his own statement by retiring 11 straight hitters over the final four innings against one of the greatest lineups ever assembled. And with Chris Sale lined up for Game 3 as the series returns to Truist Park, Atlanta is in strong position heading into the next chapter.
Still, the most encouraging sign might have been the version of Robert Suarez the Braves got on Sunday night.
Suarez has not looked fully back since the elbow injury that sidelined him for months, and Atlanta is going to have to manage him carefully if it wants him available through the rest of this series. But in terms of pure impact, he flashed the kind of weapon the Braves remember - the pitcher who posted a 0.56 ERA over his first 31 appearances before everything got derailed.
Walt Weiss brought him in during the fifth inning with a one-run lead, nobody out, and runners on first and second. It was exactly the kind of moment that could have flipped the game.
If Suarez had let even one run across, the Braves likely would have accepted that outcome, especially with the Dodgers’ order looming. Instead, he slammed the door.
He got Will Smith, Freddie Freeman, and Teoscar Hernandez in sequence, preserving the lead and, in many ways, turning the game. Suarez did it by pounding the strike zone with 100-plus MPH fastballs, and it was easily his sharpest outing since the injury.
The Braves still need to be smart with how they use him. But after that performance, Weiss has a major late-game arm back in his pocket for the final three games.
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 🡒]