The Dodgers got the kind of opening night they were hoping for in Game 1 of the NLDS: a 5-3 win over the Atlanta Braves on Saturday, October 3rd, and a 1-0 series lead to go with it.
Los Angeles came in with a week off, and the layoff didn’t show. The Dodgers looked fresh against a Braves club that had just gone through a battle with the Philadelphia Phillies, and the early edge was built on exactly the kind of things that tend to travel in October: power, pitching, and a little bit of poise.
The offense did its part, too. Kyle Tucker went 2-for-4 and launched a two-run home run, a welcome sign after a rough regular season. He finished strong, but the Dodgers needed more from him in October, and this was a solid first step.
Teoscar Hernandez also came through with a two-run homer to get the scoring started. Like Tucker, he had a season that never quite settled in before turning it on late, and his blast helped set the tone early.
Max Muncy added the final punch with a solo home run for the fifth run, pushing Los Angeles ahead 5-1 after six innings.
For a Dodgers lineup that had been short on pop, three home runs was exactly the kind of production that stands out. The club finished with eight hits and three walks.
On the mound, Tarik Skubal handled his postseason debut for Los Angeles with plenty of calm. He gave up two hits and two walks while striking out seven over six innings.
Working in what felt like 105-degree heat on the field, he stayed in control for most of the afternoon before running into trouble in the sixth, the only inning in which he allowed a run. He was lifted after 94 pitches.
The bullpen had to finish the job after that, and it had a mixed night. Brock Stewart and Alex Vesia each worked scoreless innings to keep the lead intact.
Tanner Scott took over for the save, but things got uncomfortable fast. He opened by allowing a leadoff single and then a two-run homer that cut the margin to 5-3. Even so, he recorded two more outs before handing the ball to Evan Phillips.
Phillips issued a walk, then got a groundout to close it out and preserve the Dodgers’ Game 1 win.
In Other News...
Dodgers Double Down On A Risky NLDS Plan Against Atlanta
The Dodgers are leaning into a familiar postseason idea against Atlanta by putting Blake Snell in line to start Game 2 of the NLDS, a move that fits neatly with the clubs preference for attacking a lineup that has shown trouble against left-handed pitching. Dave Roberts and pitching coach Mark Prior have both framed the series around that matchup edge, and the decision underscores how much Los Angeles values Snell even after a season shaped by injury and limited innings.
Snells return has given the Dodgers another left-handed option with real October importance, and the club appears willing to keep pressing that advantage as the series develops. Yoshinobu Yamamoto is also part of the conversation for later games, which leaves Los Angeles with some intriguing rotation flexibility, but it also hints at a plan that carries risk if the Braves force the Dodgers to keep adjusting on the fly. [Read more 🡒]
Dave Roberts Sends Dodgers Fans A Clear Message On Tanner Scott
Tanner Scotts rough ninth inning in Game 1 of the National League Division Series did not change the way Dave Roberts views the left-handers place in the Dodgers bullpen. After Scott allowed a two-run homer, Roberts pointed back to the bigger picture, noting that he was working in a non-save spot with a four-run cushion and that the late decision was shaped more by the next hitters than by the inning itself.
For the Dodgers, that matters because Scott is not just another arm in the mix. He finished the regular season with a 2.69 ERA and 25 saves, and he is one of three left-handed relievers on the NLDS roster, a group Roberts figures to lean on as the postseason gets tighter. The message from the manager was clear: one bad moment in October has not shaken the teams confidence in Scotts role. [Read more 🡒]
Dodgers Clearly Have An Andy Pages Problem They Couldn't Ignore
Andy Pages challenges with the automated ball-strike system have become enough of a talking point that the Dodgers had to address it directly again in October. Manager Dave Roberts said the coaching staff spoke with Pages about his poor success rate on ABS challenges and told him not to challenge any pitches in the next game, a sign the club views the issue as more than just a one-off mistake.
It also wasnt the first time Los Angeles had to rein him in. The Dodgers had already limited Pages from challenging pitches in the second half of the regular season because of similar problems, and his early challenge in Game 1 left the team with only one challenge for the rest of the night. For a club trying to manage every edge it can in the postseason, that kind of self-inflicted drain is hard to overlook. [Read more 🡒]