Major League Baseball has set the opening stretch of the Dodgers’ NLDS, and the first two games in Los Angeles are both night affairs - though Game 1 still comes with a catch.
Game 2 at Dodger Stadium is locked in for Sunday at 5 p.m. on FS1. Game 1 on Saturday will either start at 1 p.m.
PT or 6 p.m. PT, depending on the result of the Cubs-Padres wild card series in San Diego.
The Dodgers will not face the Cubs-Padres winner in the Division Series. Their opponent will be either the Atlanta Braves or the Philadelphia Phillies, with Atlanta up 1-0 in that best-of-3 wild card matchup.
If the Cubs advance, the Dodgers open the series Saturday at 6 p.m. PT on FS1.
If the Padres move on, Game 1 shifts to 1 p.m. PT Saturday, also on FS1.
The rest of the NLDS schedule will be filled in later this week once the wild card round is complete. Games 3 and 4 are set for Atlanta or Philadelphia on Tuesday and Wednesday, respectively, while a potential Game 5 would return to Dodger Stadium on Friday, Oct.
- Every game the Dodgers play this October will air on Fox or FS1, since Fox Sports has the full National League playoff package and the World Series.
Fox has not yet announced its announcer crews for the NLDS.
Dodgers National League Division Series schedule
Game 1: Saturday, Oct. 3, Dodger Stadium, 1 p.m. or 6 p.m.
PT, Fox or FS1
Game 2: Sunday, Oct.
4, Dodger Stadium, 5 p.m. PT, FS1
Game 3: Tuesday, Oct. 6, Atlanta/Philadelphia, TBA, Fox or FS1
Game 4*: Wednesday, Oct. 7, Atlanta/Philadelphia, TBA, Fox or FS1
Game 5*: Friday, Oct. 9, Dodger Stadium, TBA, Fox or FS1
Saturday is the opener for all four Division Series. The two American League series have Sunday off before resuming Monday with Game 2, which leaves Sunday as a two-game day for both National League series.
In Other News...
Dodgers Face A Miguel Rojas Postseason Wrinkle They Didn't Expect
Miguel Rojas is juggling more than the usual October pressure as the Dodgers get ready for the National League Division Series. The veteran infielder is scheduled to take his U.S. citizenship test on Oct. 2 in Miami, a timing quirk that could pull him away from the club at the exact moment the postseason begins. Rojas is hoping to make it back in time for Game 1, but the Dodgers are once again being asked to plan around a player whose value goes beyond the box score.
There is also a bigger layer hanging over the situation, one that makes this more than just a travel inconvenience. Rojas has said he would only keep playing if the Dodgers offer him a contract, and his current deal runs out after the World Series, leaving his future unsettled even as the club tries to line up for October. For a team that has leaned on experience and versatility all season, it is a reminder that the roster questions do not stop when the bracket does. [Read more 🡒]
Dodgers Finally Know When Their NLDS Opener Will Begin
The Dodgers finally have a start time for their NLDS opener, and it comes with the usual October combination of anticipation and uncertainty. Major League Baseball set Game 1 of Los Angeles Division Series for Saturday at 1 p.m. PT at Dodger Stadium, giving the club a clear target as it waits to learn whether its opponent will be the Braves or the Phillies.
The broader playoff picture also tightened up Wednesday, when the Padres beat the Cubs 4-1 to finish a two-game sweep in the wild card series and move on to face the Brewers. For the Dodgers, the next step still depends on the result of the Atlanta-Philadelphia game, and while the first pitch is locked in, the remaining schedule for the series has yet to be determined. [Read more 🡒]
Dodgers NLDS Opener Comes With A Tough Twist Fans Will Feel
The Dodgers now know their NLDS opener will arrive Saturday at 1 p.m. PT, and the matchup will come against either the Braves or the Phillies once the deciding game is settled Thursday. San Diegos sweep through the Wild Card round cleared the path for Los Angeles, but the first step of this next series carries an immediate test before a pitch is even thrown.
Forecasts are calling for temperatures near 100 degrees for the opener, a brutal backdrop that could shape how the game is played. Heat this extreme can wear on hitters and lengthen the challenge for both clubs, making the start of the series feel less like a normal October afternoon and more like a survival test. [Read more 🡒]