The Dodgers and Braves are back in the same October bracket, and this one finally gets the matchup that had been sitting there for years.
Los Angeles will host Atlanta in the National League Division Series starting Saturday at Dodger Stadium, renewing a rivalry between two clubs that have lived near the top of the National League for much of the last decade. They have already met three times in the postseason, including a pair of NLCS showdowns that helped push each team toward a championship.
This meeting comes after Atlanta handled the Philadelphia Phillies in the wild card round, taking the series in three games at Truist Park. It also arrives after a long wait. The Dodgers and Braves have not faced each other in the playoffs in five years, even though both teams kept putting together powerhouse regular seasons.
After the Dodgers won the title in 2020 and the Braves followed in 2021, the two clubs finished with the best records in the National League in both 2022 and 2023. But each time, both teams piled up triple-digit wins and then fell in the NLDS before the expected rubber match could happen.
That set up years of near misses. Now it is finally here.
Atlanta is back in the division series after winning the NL East with a 94-68 record. The Braves also had plenty of success against the Dodgers during the regular season, winning five of six meetings. That stretch included three one-run victories in an August 25-27 sweep in Atlanta.
Chris Sale was a major reason for that edge. The Braves ace gave up three runs, two earned, in 16 innings against Los Angeles this season and struck out 18 batters in his two starts. The Dodgers beat him on May 8 in their lone win over Atlanta this year, but Sale answered with a 1-0 shutout on August 27.
Sale pitched Tuesday against the Phillies and, before that outing, he was presumed unlikely to be available until at least Game 2 on Sunday. That changed a bit after he threw an inning and a third in Game 3. The 37-year-old has pitched on four days’ rest twice this season, both times in April.
Atlanta’s rotation plan now sits in question with travel and a day off in the schedule, while the Dodgers have the advantage of a bye and can line up their own pitching however they want for Saturday’s Game 1, which is expected to be played in blistering heat.
In Other News...
Padres Just Left The Dodgers With A Brutal NLDS Opener
The Dodgers NLDS opener landed in an unwelcome spot almost as soon as San Diego finished off the Cubs in the Wild Card round. Instead of a prime-time atmosphere, Game 1 was pushed to a 1 p.m. local start under an extreme heat watch, with temperatures expected to climb to 101 degrees and humidity adding to the discomfort.
Dave Roberts made it clear he would have preferred a night game, and the concerns went beyond convenience. Player safety has been part of the conversation, and the scheduling shift came on the heels of the Padres sweep, even if the exact reason for the change still wasnt fully clear. For the Dodgers, it was one more layer of irritation before a matchup that already carried plenty of October pressure. [Read more 🡒]
Dodgers NLDS Opener Comes With A Stadium Twist Fans Will Notice
Dodger Stadium is getting a postseason menu refresh as the NLDS opens, with Levy rolling out a batch of new food items for fans coming through the gates. The additions are built for the kind of October crowd that likes to make an event out of every inning, and the list includes a Spam musubi dog, orange chicken fries, a colossal burger, a wing sampler, chicharron and guacamole, and a churro waffle ice cream sandwich.
The new offerings will be available for all NLDS games, and there is at least a chance they stick around into the NL Championship Series if the Dodgers keep advancing. For fans, it adds another layer to a postseason atmosphere that already comes with plenty to track, from the action on the field to what ends up in hand during the long nights at Chavez Ravine. [Read more 🡒]
Dodgers Just Made An NLDS Rotation Choice Fans Did Not Expect
The Dodgers have gone with a surprise look for Game 1 of the National League Division Series, choosing left-hander Tarik Skubal to take the ball against the Atlanta Braves. It is the kind of decision that speaks to just how deep Los Angeles is right now, with Dave Roberts able to turn to a rotation that also includes Yoshinobu Yamamoto, Blake Snell and Tyler Glasnow.
Yamamoto, last year's World Series MVP, will not get the opener but is expected to pitch later in the series, leaving the Dodgers with some flexibility as the matchup unfolds. Roberts has made it clear the club does not lack for high-end starting options, and the choice to open with Skubal only adds another layer to a series that already looked loaded with pitching intrigue. [Read more 🡒]