The Dodgers know their playoff path has one of two possible stops before they get to the National League Division Series.
Philadelphia’s win at home Sunday snapped a four-game losing streak and locked up the final wild card spot in the National League, putting the Phillies in as the No. 6 seed. That sets up a best-of-three wild card series against the No. 3 seed Braves, who won the NL East, starting Tuesday at Truist Park in Atlanta. The winner gets the right to head to Los Angeles next weekend.
For the Dodgers, the matchup matters because their regular-season results against both possible opponents tell very different stories. They split the season series with the Phillies in their favor, going 4-2 overall. That included taking two of three at Dodger Stadium from May 29-31 and then doing the same at Citizens Bank Park from July 20-22.
The Braves were a much tougher puzzle. Los Angeles went 1-5 against Atlanta this season, with the lone win coming in a tight game against Chris Sale on May 8 at Dodger Stadium.
After that, the Braves took the next five, including a three-game sweep in Atlanta built on three one-run victories. The most eye-catching result in that stretch came on August 27, when Sale spun a 1-0 gem and beat Yoshinobu Yamamoto.
The Dodgers are already locked in as the No. 2 seed in the NL playoffs and will open the postseason at home at Dodger Stadium on Saturday, October 3.
The Braves-Phillies wild card series will be carried by NBC and streamed on Peacock. Games 1 and 2 are both scheduled for 2 p.m.
ET, which is 11 a.m. PT, on Tuesday and Wednesday.
Game 3, if it’s needed, will also begin at 11 a.m. PT unless only two games remain on Thursday along with the White Sox-Astros wild card series, or if the Phillies and Braves are the only series still going.
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Dodgers Prospect Suddenly Has A Real Playoff Roster Case
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De Paula is part of a broader wave of prospects being considered around the league, alongside players like Ethan Salas, Carlos Lagrange, Jesus Made and Andrew Fischer, but the Dodgers situation feels especially worth watching because of how much talent they have to sort through. Recent big-league debuts and strong minor league showings have only added to the debate, and for Los Angeles the real question is whether upside can squeeze onto a playoff card when every spot starts to matter more. [Read more 🡒]