The Dodgers head to Atlanta with the NLDS even at a game apiece, and Sunday’s Game 2 loss left a few clear themes hanging over the series.
Blake Snell’s outing was the biggest one. He lasted only 11 outs and needed 90 pitches to get there, allowing just one run but forcing Los Angeles to burn through six relievers over the final 5 1/3 innings. The Dodgers came away believing the issue was more rust than anything tied to the left groin discomfort that cut short his start in Cincinnati on September 16.
“He just was fighting himself with his delivery all game,” Roberts said. “I think, in total, didn’t have fastball command, didn’t have slider command and the changeup wasn’t there.
… It wasn’t the groin. He just wasn’t sharp tonight.”
Offensively, the Dodgers have lived almost entirely on the long ball so far. In Game 1, all five runs came via home runs: two-run blasts from Teoscar Hernández and Kyle Tucker, plus a solo shot from Mac Muncy. In Game 2, the only offense was a pair of solo homers from Freddie Freeman and Muncy.
“We’ve to find a way to score some runs without hitting a home run,” added Freddie Freeman, who homered Sunday and has three hits in the series. “That’s our biggest thing right now. So keep getting guys on base and get that big hit.”
Freeman also pointed to the way Atlanta has worked through its bullpen as part of the challenge. The Braves have kept sending in fresh arms, often changing pitchers every couple of innings, and that has made life difficult for Los Angeles hitters.
“It’s tough because you’re facing a different arm every single time you’re going up there,” Freeman said. “It’s different angles, different velocities, different things. So stringing hits together is very hard.
One of those arms was Didier Fuentes, who shut down the Dodgers long enough to give Atlanta breathing room. Fuentes retired 11 straight batters before Muncy homered in the ninth to pull Los Angeles within a run. Roberts said Fuentes leaned heavily on his fastball, which was sitting at 99, 100, and mixed in a split at times.
“I think it was just the fastball,” Roberts said of Fuentes, who threw two scoreless innings against the Dodgers during the Braves’ three-game sweep in Atlanta in August. “Tonight you could see the fastball, it was 99, 100.
There was a lot of balls we were just missing as far as lazy fly balls, and we just couldn’t hit the ball flat against him. Then he was mixing in his split once in a while.
“Tip my hat to him, two days off (since pitching in the Wild Card Series) and doing what he did was pretty impressive.”
In Other News...
Dodgers Face A Sudden Game 3 Booth Absence Fans Will Notice
Joe Davis will be missing from the FOX Sports booth for Game 3 of the NLDS after losing his voice, a noticeable shift for Dodgers fans used to hearing him on the call. Kenny Albert will handle play-by-play for the game, stepping into a spot that has belonged to Davis for years as the voice of Dodgers broadcasts since 2016 and FOXs lead postseason announcer since 2022.
The absence is being treated as day-to-day, so it is not expected to be a long-term issue, but it still leaves a brief interruption in a postseason routine that has become familiar on both the local and national stages. For a Dodgers team deep into October, even a broadcast change stands out, especially when it comes during a series where every detail feels amplified. [Read more 🡒]
Braves May Have Exposed A Costly Dodgers NLDS Problem
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For a Dodgers team trying to keep its October run on track, the timing could hardly be worse. Rojas has been part of the infield stability theyve leaned on, and if the back issue keeps him out any longer, Los Angeles may have to make a postseason roster move before the series moves on. [Read more 🡒]
Juan Soto Just Raised The Stakes For Dodgers Rookie Josue De Paula
Josue De Paula has moved from promising September call-up to a genuine postseason name to know for the Dodgers, earning a spot on the NLDS roster after impressing in 11 games. The top prospect has already shown why the organization is so high on him, bringing offensive upside and the kind of work ethic that tends to travel well once the games tighten in October.
Juan Sotos public praise only adds to the intrigue around De Paula, especially for a Dodgers club always balancing upside with reliability this time of year. The bat has given De Paula a real chance to matter, but his defense in the outfield remains the part of his game under the brightest scrutiny now that every inning carries extra weight. [Read more 🡒]