Category: MLB

LOS ANGELES — In the shadows of Hollywood, where stars are born, dreams are made, and the outrageous becomes conceivable, say hello to that baseball team that could out of Atlanta.

Let’s be honest, no one gave Atlanta a prayer against the mighty and powerful Los Angeles Dodgers in this National League Division Series.

It was supposed to be a glorified bye for the Dodgers, who just 48 hours ago, were talking about setting up their starting rotation for the National League Championship Series.

Now, they’re not even guaranteed playing another game at Dodger Stadium.

Atlanta, made the decision to give 37-year-old Cy Young winner Chris Sale ample rest and go with a bullpen game for the third consecutive contest, facing two-time Cy Young winner Blake Snell.

Atlanta started 32-year-old rookie Ray Kerr, who was in the foster care system as a kid. He worked at the local 7-Eleven and cleaned movie theaters to make ends meet as a junior college player in Reno. They used 21-year-old Didier Fuentes, the youngest pitcher in baseball, to retire 11 consecutive batters – the longest streak by a reliever that young in postseason history. And they relied on Atlanta native Michael Harris II to provide the offense, who singled, doubled, tripled, scored and drove in a run.

When the evening ended, Atlanta had a 3-2 victory at Dodger Stadium, and they headed back to their Beverly Hills hotel with a flight back home Monday, leading this best-of-five National League Division Series at 1-1.

Well, technically the series is tied, but with a rested Sale – who shut out the Dodgers in August – ready to pitch Game 3, and Tyle Mahle, who has been baseball’s biggest trade deadline acquisition (4-1, 1.99 ERA) scheduled in Game 4, no wonder they feel like they’re leading the series.

Certainly, no one in the Atlanta clubhouse dared to say they were in the driver’s seat, knowing that World Series MVP Yoshinobu Yamamato is lined up to pitch Game 3 for the Dodgers, with Tyler Glasnow in Game 4 and two-time Cy Young winner Tarik Skubal for a potential Game 5.

The Dodgers are the two-time defending World Series champions for a reason.

Yet, all of a sudden, they appear a bit vulnerable.

“We’re feeling pretty good," Atlanta DH Rowdy Tellez tells USA TODAY Sports. “It’s big getting the split here and going back to our place. We know we’re going to be facing Yamamoto, so to have our best counterpart go against counterpoint, I think is going to be good for us.  We also saw a lot of their pitchers, so that puts us in a good spot."

Says outfielder Mike Yastrzemski: “I think in a realistic world, coming in there and leaving at 1-1, was a really good scenario for us to be able to take that home. This is not an easy place to play, especially in the playoffs, and it’s not an easy team to beat. So, to leave here 1-1 and have Sale going is awesome. It’s nice that he got rest, too."

After throwing 24 pitches in relief on Thursday, Atlanta wanted a fresh, well-rested Sale, for Game 3, gambling it would work.

It worked, just like a Hollywood script, with Weiss purposely holding back his top leverage relievers for Sunday once they were losing Game 1.

“I think losing the way we did [Saturday]," Weiss said, “allowed us to do what we did tonight and gain the split."

But, of course, who knew that it would be as simple as Fuentes entering the game in the sixth inning, and watching him come within one out of closing it out. He was one strike away from completing the four-out save before giving up a home run to Max Muncy before Raisel Iglesias stepped in for the final out, getting Josue De Paula to pop out.

“It wasn't the plan, believe me," Weiss said. “When I went to him in the sixth, I was thinking I've got to get the last four innings between him and Iglesias. To be honest with you, I thought it would probably be most likely two and two, but Didi was throwing the ball so well, I didn't want to mess with that. He was throwing the ball really well. ... I don't want to get in the way of a good thing."

Fuentes said when he became the fifth Atlanta pitcher in the game, he had no idea how long he’d go. He was just going to keep on pitching until someone told him to stop.

“It was super emotional, very exciting, against the Dodgers no less," he said. “It’s been nice to be able to gain that confidence throughout the whole season, and just gain that experience as well. The message stays the same. Whenever you need me, just let me know, and I’ll do whatever the team needs."

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The Dodgers were trying to tell themselves in the clubhouse before leaving for Atlanta that at least they’ve seen all of Atlanta’s relievers in the first two games. They not only have all of the scouting reports, but they’ve seen the pitchers with their own eyes.

Now, they just have to execute.

“We need to get going offensively," said Dodgers shortstop Mookie Betts. “It’s not going to be easy, but I mean we knew that from the beginning. We know it’s going to be a tough matchup, no matter who’s on the mound."

The Dodgers know they just need to win one game in Atlanta to assure that at the least, the series returns to Dodger Stadium, where two-time Cy Young winner Tarik Skubal would pitch in Game after dominating Atlanta in the series opener.

“Look, we've got to face more Cy Young Award winners for them," Weiss said. “Every starter on their staff is a Cy Young guy. It doesn't get any easier, but I like the fact that we go back home even and we have Chris Sale.

“We're in a good position."

And, yes, besides Sale and Mahle scheduled the next two games, they also have Kerr.

Kerr, who helped Atlanta beat the Philadelphia Phillies in the wild-card round by starting and pitching 3 ½ shutout innings in their deciding Game 3, stepped up again and delivered.

“Ray Kerr is amazing, man," Weiss said. “He did it again for us, just amazing. There always seems to be some unsung heroes in the postseason. Ray's definitely one of them.’’

Said Kerr: “You know, it’s been fun, it’s very exciting, and like overnight I’ve got like a thousand followers on Instagram. So, I’m getting used to it. I’m just going to be myself.’’

But if Atlanta can pull off this stunning upset, stopping the Dodgers from becoming only the third franchise to win three consecutive World Series, their entire team will be remembered forever.

Hollywood awaits.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Atlanta's Cy Young gambit pays off with sucker punch to Dodgers in NLDS

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LOS ANGELES – Dave Roberts had every reason to feel good going into Game 2 of the NLDS on Sunday. The Los Angeles Dodgers had just powered their way to a 5-3 series-opening win over the Atlanta Braves the day before behind homers from Teoscar Hernández, Kyle Tucker and Max Muncy and a six-inning gem from Tarik Skubal. And with the Braves opting for a second straight bullpen game and Blake Snell set to start, it looked as if the Dodgers were about to take a chokehold on the series.

But things went awry almost instantly at Dodger Stadium.

Snell walked Matt Olson and Ozzie Albies back to back after Ronald Acuña Jr. got on base with a one-out single. The former Cy Young winner needed 27 pitches to get out of that bases-loaded jam in the first inning and limited the damage to just one run, but 90 pitches in just 3⅔ innings later, Snell was out of the game. The Dodgers went through six relievers in a 3-2 loss to Atlanta in what turned out to be a bullpen game of their own.

"He just was fighting himself with his delivery all game," Roberts said. "The fastball was really good. The change-up was good at times. I think in total didn't have fastball command, didn't have slider command, and the change-up wasn't there. He was pulling it. ... He just wasn't sharp tonight."

The metrics on Snell all looked good on Sunday. His velocity across all four pitches was up as he drew 12 whiffs in his outing, leading all pitchers. Crucially, his velo didn't go down as the game went on, so there was nothing in the numbers to suggest that Snell was still dealing with the left groin tightness that pulled him after just one inning in his penultimate start of the season in Cincinnati on Sept. 16. While Roberts admitted he didn't think Snell looked sharp when he pitched four innings in San Francisco in his return to the mound on Sept. 26, he still felt good coming out of it.

He was encouraged further when he threw an inning earlier this week during the bye.

"There were no concerns," Roberts said.

Where things went wrong was Snell's inability to find the strike zone as he walked five batters. His induced vertical break was down across his entire arsenal, and he only threw 13 called strikes for a combined called strike plus whiff rate of 28%, just slightly lower than the 32% of all his pitches that found the zone. The command just simply wasn't there on Sunday.

Snell was unavailable to the media postgame due to a family matter, per Dodgers PR.

“He was fighting himself all game.”

Before Freddie Freeman’s game-tying solo home run, Dave Roberts spoke with @Ken_Rosenthal about Blake Snell’s outing today and what his plans are for the bullpen. pic.twitter.com/GeOO2xA1Te

— FOX Sports: MLB (@MLBONFOX) October 5, 2026

What a turn of events for the Braves, though. Just when it looked like their season was about to be over, they created enough traffic on the bases to chase the Dodgers' second ace and steal a win on the road to tie the series up heading back to Atlanta, where they'll have a rested Chris Sale waiting to take the mound. Suddenly, they now have the upper hand in a series they once seemed desperately out of.

The pressure now lies on Yoshinobu Yamamoto more than it does on the 37-year-old Sale.

"We're in a good position," Braves manager Walt Weiss said. "... Look, we've got to face more Cy Young Award winners for them. Every starter on their staff is a Cy Young guy. It doesn't get any easier, but I like the fact that we go back home even and we have Chris Sale."

For the Dodgers, the inconsistent offense that plagued much of their summer reared its head again at the worst possible time. Shohei Ohtani still doesn't look right at the plate. Andy Pages is struggling in October once again, despite posting the best season of his career at the plate in 2026, which Roberts admitted has given him "a little bit" of concern. Collectively, the Dodgers left seven runners on base and went 0-for-8 with runners in scoring position on Sunday. No matter who's on the mound, that can't happen. Especially in the postseason.

The momentum has been snatched from the Dodgers. Yamamoto has shown he's more than capable of getting it back. But the Braves showed on Sunday this won't be the cakewalk some thought it would be.

"It's a good team offensively. They're going to fight," Roberts said. "(Michael) Harris (II) is swinging a good bat. We knew it was going to be a battle. So, we knew those guys weren't going to go down. Expecting to see Sale Game 3. We've got our work cut out. So now it's a three-game series."

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Blake Snell's sluggish Game 2 start was worst-case scenario for Dodgers

The most impressive number the Dodgers put up this season was 100 — the games they won. They had to do a lot of things right to get there.

No Dodger ranked among the top 16 in the majors in home runs or the top 37 in RBIs, yet they were fourth in runs scored. How? They were third in the majors in walks and near the bottom in strikeouts, which allowed them to manufacture runs by stringing together long innings rather than relying on the long ball.

Two games into the postseason, that script has flipped. After Sunday’s 3-2 loss to the Braves, the Dodgers head to Atlanta with their best-of-five National League Division Series tied. Suddenly the Braves, who will start ace Chris Sale on Tuesday, have the edge.

“Getting the split in this place against these guys, yeah, it’s awesome,” Braves manager Walt Weiss said.

Read more:Dodgers waste chance to seize control of NLDS, fall to Braves in Game 2

All seven of the Dodgers’ runs in the NLDS have come on five home runs, three of them with the bases empty. The Dodgers are 0 for 9 with men in scoring position, stranding 13 runners. They’ve also struck out three times more often than they’ve walked and are batting .215 against the relay team of 10 pitchers Atlanta has used.

“We didn’t throw out a bunch of hits, but there was still traffic,” Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said. “We didn’t need many hits tonight to have a different result, and we just couldn’t get it.”

Sure it’s a small sample; just two games. Yet it should be a troubling one for the Dodgers, the two-time defending World Series champions.

“Sometimes it’s just you can’t hit,” said Mookie Betts, who walked twice. “I mean, there’s nothing really you can do to explain that. You’ve just got to be in the moment and come through. We had some moments today [when] we didn’t come through.

“That’s part of the game. We’ve just got to keep giving ourselves moments, and eventually something will happen.”

“We’ve got 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 said the Braves have done a good job keeping the Dodgers hitters off-balance by emptying their bullpen, sending in a fresh pitcher every couple of innings.

“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.

“This is the playoffs. We’re not going to score eight to 10 runs. It’s hard. Pitching staffs are good.”

Dodgers outfielder Teoscar Hernández wondered whether the Braves’ game plan might soon backfire. Aside from Sale, Weiss has few pitchers left the Dodgers haven’t seen; eventually they’ll catch up, he says.

“We’ve seen basically the best out of the bullpen,” Hernández said. “We can have a better plan for Tuesday and Wednesday.”

Although the Dodgers committed the second-fewest errors and gave up the fewest unearned runs this season, they haven’t looked sharp defensively in the postseason, with all three Atlanta runs Sunday coming with two outs.

The Braves loaded the bases in the first inning on a single and two walks before scoring when a diving Betts snared a Mauricio Dubón grounder up the middle, but threw wild and late to first, enabling Ronald Acuña Jr. to score. They then went ahead to stay in the fifth on a line drive to left that Hernández misplayed into a triple, followed by reliever Kris Bubic’s wild pitch.

“I didn’t think he hit it that good,” Hernández said. “I didn’t break in, but I broke to the side. And then when I realized, it was too late.”

Atlanta’s final run came in the seventh when Michael Harris II one-hopped the wall in right-center, allowing Matt Olson, running from first on the full-count pitch, to score.

Now the advantage swings to the Braves, who go to Truist Park, where they had the second-best home record in the league.

“We knew it was going to be a battle. We knew those guys weren’t going to go down,” Roberts said of the Braves.

“Now it’s a three-game series.”

Sign up for more Dodgers news with Dodgers Dugout. Delivered at the start of each series.

This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.

In the pregame press conference preceding Game 2 of the NLDS, Walt Weiss stated that he was going to just “watch and see what happens” when it came to relying on his bullpen to carry him and the rest of the Atlanta Braves through another high-stakes Postseason game.

As it turned out, one reliever in particular took it upon himself to carry the Braves through nearly the entire final three innings of an eventual 3-2, series-tying win over the Los Angeles Dodgers. Didier Fuentes was absolutely dazzling with his only real blemish being a ninth-inning solo homer with two outs given to Max Muncy. With that being said, the 11 outs that Fuentes did get were absolutely huge and definitely helped carry the Braves across the finish line in order to steal home field advantage ahead of a Chris Sale start in Game 3.

“We’re in a good position,” said Weiss when he was asked during the postgame press conference about his pitching plans for once the series shifts to Cobb County. “We’ve got Chris Sale lined up after a split here…Look, we’ve got to face more Cy Young Award winners for [the Dodgers]. Every starter on their staff is a Cy Young guy. It doesn’t get any easier, but I like the fact that we go back home even and we have Chris Sale.”

“I think whenever you have Sale on the mound, you’ve seen it the last couple years about what he can do. You feel good whenever you’re playing at home and Sale’s on the mound,” said Drake Baldwin (who got on base three times with three walks in this one) when he was asked about going back home with a Chris Sale start coming up next. “Being tied, you feel a little bit better than being down 0-2.”

When Weiss was asked about whether or not having Fuentes go 2.2 innings was the plan all along, Weiss stayed true to his word when he stated that he was simply going to watch and observe what happened and go from there. “It wasn’t the plan, believe me,” exclaimed Weiss. “When I went to him in the sixth, I was thinking ‘I’ve got to get the last four innings between him and Iglesias.’ To be honest with you, I thought it would probably be most likely two and two, but Didi was throwing the ball so well, I didn’t want to mess with that. After his third inning, I looked at our pitching coach [and said], ‘Let’s see how he feels. If he feels good enough, I want to send him back out.’ I didn’t want to mess with a good thing. He was throwing the ball really well.”

Indeed, it felt similar to how he let Ray Kerr (who was excellent once again during Game 2 of the NLDS) go for as long as possible in Game 3 — and it’s also a testament to the trust and faith that Weiss has placed in his players all season. If he feels like his pitchers are doing well, he’s going to let them go — within reason. He’s not the type to hang someone out to dry or to leave a guy in simply to get a round number in the “IP” category but he does show plenty of faith in his players to get the job done in their stated role and he did just that with Fuentes tonight.

Fuentes’s efforts ended up making for a short night for closer Raisel Iglesias, who got 21-year-old Josue De Paula to pop out in order to end the game and lock down the victory for Atlanta.

“Look, Iglesias is one of the best closers in the game. Like I said, I just didn’t want to mess with a good thing,” continued Weiss as he talked about why he left Fuentes in for as long as he did. “I was going to give him one base runner. It was hitter to hitter in the ninth. He happened to get two quick outs. I was going to Iglesias the first hitter that got on. Yeah, [he] gave up the homer to Muncy, and that obviously was time [for him to leave]. But I don’t want to get in the way of a good thing.”

While Didier Fuentes stole the show with his efforts on the mound, the hometown kid Michael Harris II continued to rake at the plate. Harris had 18 games with at least three hits during the regular season and he’s now pulled it off in two of the five Postseason games that the Braves have played so far. His big double in the seventh inning wound up being the difference, as Matt Olson scored what turned out to be the winning run that gave the Braves enough breathing room to survive.

“I think it means a lot to obviously overcome what happened yesterday, not winning the game, and taking momentum and going back to Atlanta and potentially hand the ball off to either Mahle or Sale,” said Harris when he was asked about how big it was to pick up the split. “I think that gives us confidence and motivation to come back with some momentum.”

When Harris was asked about how it felt to be producing at such a high level for the team that he grew up being a fan of and watching, Money Mike was full of hometown pride in that regard. “Yeah, it means a lot just knowing I was there in that situation watching [the 2021 NLCS],” said Harris. “Watching [Austin Riley] hit the walkoff [in Game 1 of that series] and being there for that, just chanting MVP for him. Now we’re here in the playoffs trying to do the same thing.”

“Yeah, it means a lot, and now I’m out on the field to be able to wear that jersey in front of the city that I grew up in and I was once sitting in those seats,” continued Harris. “Yeah, it feels good.”

It’s certainly a treat to see someone with local ties deliver in such a big moment for the Braves and now he’ll be in a similar position to deliver in front of the hometown fans once the series shifts to Atlanta on Tuesday. The Braves now have home field advantage in this series and are now on the front foot with a day of rest and two of their best starters lined up for the next two games. Again, it won’t be easy but as Weiss has continued to maintain all season, this team has proven that they’re at their best with their backs against the wall.

Hopefully they’ll be able to put the Dodgers in that position with a win in Game 3 with Chris Sale starting. The bullpen has carried this team through — now it’s Sale and the rotation’s turn. We’ll see what happens going forward!

The inning could have — arguably should have — been over already. But instead, the Atlanta Braves’ Michael Harris II stood 90 feet away from scoring the go-ahead run.

And the Dodgers, who failed to take care of the little things Sunday night, handed the lead back to the Braves.

Left-handed reliever Kris Bubic lost control of a sweeper. And it flew high and outside, off the end of catcher Will Smith’s glove and to the edge of the grass behind home plate.

Harris scored standing up. And the Dodgers trailed for the final five innings of Game 2 of the National League Division Series, ultimately a 3-2 loss, evening the series.

Read more:Dodgers know they must break their reliance on home runs to beat Braves

“We didn’t want to give in there,” said Bubic, who was trying to throw that slider for strike in a 2-and-0 count to Mauricio Dubón. “But that’s the last thing you want to do there.”

That wild pitch was one of many Dodgers missteps Sunday.

They entered Game 2 with a long list of advantages: The Dodgers were playing at home, they had momentum from the win the day before, they had one of best starting pitchers on the mound to counter a second straight Braves bullpen game.

They gave away every edge they had.

“We all knew it was going to be a good series,” veteran first baseman Freddie Freeman said. “Just two really good teams going at it. Pitching’s been really good.”

Braves left-hander Ray Kerr, who excelled down the stretch as a long reliever, served as the opener Sunday. And the Braves used six pitchers, leaning on right-hander Didier Fuentes for 3⅔ innings, to hold the Dodgers to two solo homers.

The Dodgers, despite starting two-time Cy Young winner Blake Snell, used seven pitchers. So much for that advantage.

The Dodgers managed just two hits off Kerr, each to open an inning. Freeman lined a single into right field to kick off the second. And Miguel Rojas sent a double into the left-field corner to begin the third.

The Dodgers stranded both — in sequences that included a pop-out bunt from Tommy Edman. Shohei Ohtani was the last batter Kerr faced, and with two runners on and one out, Ohtani popped up a high cutter in a full count.

Snell lasted only one inning more than Kerr.

Snell’s first frame easily could have spiraled. With one out, he gave up a single to Ronald Acuña Jr. and walked Matt Olson and Ozzie Albies to load the bases. But Snell escaped with just one run scored, on a grounder up the middle from Dubón. Shortstop Mookie Betts made a diving stop but had no chance at throwing out Dubón.

Snell then struck out Sean Murphy to end the inning, finishing the at-bat with three straight curveballs for strikes.

The one-run deficit could be erased. But the damage on his pitch count, up to 27 in that first inning, was done.

Snell surrendered just one more hit, but when he issued his fifth walk with two outs in the fourth inning, his pitch count was up to 90. Manager Dave Roberts strode from the dugout to pull him.

“He just was fighting himself with his delivery all game,” Roberts said, saying the groin injury that limited Snell in late September had not resurfaced. “I think in total, didn’t have fastball command, didn’t have slider command, and the changeup wasn’t there. He was pulling it.”

In the bottom half of the inning, Freeman, who was optimistic that he could shake off his September slump over the bye week, tied the score with a homer. But sloppy play extended the fifth inning and put the Dodgers in a hole again.

With two outs, in an 0-and-2 count, Bubic got Harris to chase an outside sweeper moving away from him. Harris leaned over to get his bat out to it and sent a line drive into the left field corner.

The Dodgers’ Teoscar Hernández took a circuitous route to the ball and still missed by only inches. It caromed off the wall, allowing Harris to reach third base, in position to score on Bubic’s wild pitch.

“I didn’t think he hit it that good,” Hernández said. “I didn’t break in, but I broke to the side, and then when I realized, it was too late. Maybe I had a shot on it.”

The Dodgers had a chance at a comeback as soon as they were at bat again. But after they got two runners on against left-hander Dylan Lee, the Braves turned to Robert Suarez. He and Fuentes combined to retire 14 straight — a streak Max Muncy finally broke by hitting a homer with two outs in the ninth inning.

“It showed that they’re going to use any pitcher, try to get every matchup possible,” Roberts said. “ Obviously them pushing Fuentes to almost four innings, 40-something pitches, shows they’re going to ride certain guys.”

While the Dodgers have a deeper rotation, the bullpen advantage goes to the Braves.

The Braves expanded their lead in the seventh inning against hard-throwing right-hander Edgardo Henriquez, who gave up a single to Olson and an RBI double to Harris.

Then right-hander Roki Sasaki got himself into a bases-loaded situation in the eighth, with Acuña at the plate, but got out of it with a double play. Sasaki then retired the side in order in the ninth.

Next, the series heads to Atlanta for two games. And Game 3 will be a matchup of two aces, Chris Sale for the Braves and Yoshinobu Yamamoto for the Dodgers.

No longer is everything stacked in the Dodgers’ favor.

Said Hernández: “We’ve been in tougher spots than this one.”

Sign up for more Dodgers news with Dodgers Dugout. Delivered at the start of each series.

This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.

Walt Weiss and the Braves’ staff made the bold decision to hold off ace Chris Sale from Game 2 of Atlanta’s National League Division Series against the Los Angeles Dodgers Sunday night.

If they could manage to win without throwing their top two starters, they would head back to Atlanta tied at 1 with Sale and Tyler Mahle lined up to start the two home games in the series.

But by doing so, they would be throwing a third straight bullpen game and reducing their chances of winning Game 2.

The bold move paid off as six relievers combined to hold down the Dodgers’ bats and the Atlanta offense did just enough to eke out a 3-2 win in Los Angeles, sending the best-of-five series back to Atlanta level at one win apiece.

For a time, it looked like Didier Fuentes, who had an up-and-down wild-card series, was going to carry the final four innings himself. He entered in the bottom of the sixth and retired the first 11 batters he faced to protect a 3-1 lead before Max Muncy hit a solo homer off him with two outs in the ninth to cut the deficit to one run.

Raisel Iglesias came out of the bullpen and got the final out, getting Josue De Paula to pop out in foul territory to close out the win.

The win didn’t have to be as stressful as it proved to be for the Braves, who stranded 11 runners on base.

The Braves had Dodgers starter Blake Snell on the ropes in the first inning, loading the bases with one out on Ronald Acuña Jr.’s single followed by consecutive walks from Matt Olson and Ozzie Albies. Atlanta did plate the first run of the game on Mauricio Dubón’s infield single with two outs. But Sean Murphy’s strikeout prevented the Braves from putting up a crooked number.

Ray Kerr did the opener job for the second time in four days, delivering 2 2/3 innings of scoreless work to run his total to six shutout innings on just three hits over his first two postseason starts. He struck out two in a 1-2-3 first and then navigated a leadoff Freddie Freeman single in the second.

He ran into some trouble with Miguel Rojas’ leadoff double in the third but recorded two outs around a walk and then was replaced by Grant Holmes, who got Will Smith to ground out to third on his first pitch to end the threat.

Holmes didn’t carry that same success into the fourth, when old friend Freddie Freeman led off with a game-tying solo homer. The Dodgers chased Holmes after he got just two outs after a single followed by a walk, but Dylan Lee entered the game, struck out Max Muncy and got Tommy Edman to pop out to escape another threat with the game tied at 1.

The Braves reclaimed the lead in the next half-inning, when Michael Harris II delivered a two-out triple just over Teoscar Hernandez’s glove down the left field line and came home on Kris Bubic’s wild pitch.

The Dodgers appeared poised to again tie the game or take the lead when they put the first two runners of the fifth on base against Lee. Robert Suarez entered, however, and retired the next two batters on flyouts before striking out Hernandez to escape with the lead intact.

Los Angeles finished 0-for-8 with runners in scoring position, stranding seven runners.

Harris then added onto the lead with his third hit in the seventh, an RBI double to score Olson, leaving him a homer short of the cycle.

That run proved critical when Muncy hit his second homer in as many games of this series to chase Fuentes. But Iglesias needed just three pitches to retire De Paula and close out a highly improbable — and quite possibly series-altering — win for the Braves.

LOS ANGELES — Turns out, Sunday was a bullpen game for both teams at Dodger Stadium, whether by design or not. But the Dodgers managed only two runs against six Braves pitchers in a slog of a game and a 3-2 loss to even the National League Division Series at one game apiece.

Blake Snell did not have it in his start, and in retrospect it was a minor miracle he left with only one run against his ledger. His first inning took 27 pitches with two singles, two walks, and a run, but he escaped with by striking out Sean Murphy.

After allowing two-out baserunners in the second and third innings with no damage, Snell regressed in the fourth with two more walks, giving him a season-high five walks on the evening. It’s the most walks by Snell in a start since August 24, 2024, when he walked six while with the San Francisco Giants.

But all that traffic meant 90 pitches for Snell to get just 11 outs, with nearly as many balls (43) as strikes (47).

Brock Stewart got the final out of the fourth inning to strand those two runners left by Snell. That started the bullpen game that the Dodgers very much were not expecting.

A rarity

Left-hander Kris Bubic, acquired at the trade deadline from the Kansas City Royals while on the 60-day injured list, is a starting pitcher and former All-Star who has pitched in relief through his rehab assignment and into the majors because that’s where the need arose in Los Angeles. It has mostly worked swimmingly, through six rehab outings in Triple-A and five games with the Dodgers down the stretch.

Bubic’s 12th appearance in the organization came to start the fifth inning, and he got the first two outs before Michael Harris II hit a ball into the left field corner that Teoscar Hernández played into a triple. That was the first extra-base hit Bubic allowed during those 12 games, with Harris his 43rd batter faced. Nobody had yet scored against Bubic either in 11 innings, until he uncorked a wild pitch that allowed Harris to scamper home with the go-ahead run.

Déjà vu

For the second straight game, the Dodgers failed to score against the first pitcher in a Braves bullpen game. After Dylan Dodd pitched three scoreless innings to open Game 1, fellow southpaw Ray Kerr got the first eight outs on Sunday and kept the Dodgers from scoring.

Miguel Rojas, who hit .293/.240/.469 with a 121 wRC+ against left-handers this season, got the start at third base and paid dividends in the form of a leadoff double off Kerr in the third inning. But that rally was neutered by Tommy Edman, a switch-hitter with a career 118 wRC+ against southpaws, attempted a bunt for some reason but instead popped out to Austin Riley at third base. Then Shohei Ohtani continued his expedition outside the strike zone before popping out weakly.

Kerr shook hands with Braves manager Walt Weiss after an impressive extended outing for the second time in four days, and former Dodgers first-round draft pick Grant Holmes needed only one pitch to induce a Will Smith ground out to strand the two runners left behind by Kerr.

Finding his swing?

Once again, the Dodgers scored against the first Braves reliever, and did so again via the long ball. Freddie Freeman took Holmes deep in the fourth to tie the game at 1-1, Freeman’s first home run since September 2, snapping a skid of 85 plate appearances without one. Before that, Freeman went 47 full games and 196 plate appearances without a homer. A good chunk of that time had Freeman plagued by a right knee injury, though Freeman over the final week of the season insisted the knee got healthy, but he had developed bad habits with his swing that he tried to correct over the five days off before the NLDS.

Through two games of the NLDS, Freeman has gotten three hits, and scored in each contest.

Rough first game back

Edgardo Henriquez was one of the Dodgers’ best relievers this season, but he spent the last two weeks of the regular season on the injured list with lower back discomfort. He entered the seventh inning on Sunday with the Dodgers trailing 2-1. The stuff looked good in Henriquez’s first game in three weeks, well into triple digits with his fastball, but lefties Matt Olson got and Harris tagged Henriquez for hits, with Harris delivering a two-out double to score Olson from first base, widening Atlanta’s advantage to 3-1.

Starring performance

The Dodgers had their chances on offense, putting eight runners on base in the first five innings. But only one of them scored, thanks to seven hitless at-bats with runners in scoring position. 21-year-old Braves right-hander Didier Fuentes simply fixed that glitch for Atlanta, and didn’t permit any Dodgers to reach base at all in his first three innings, and even pitched into the ninth, getting two more outs. Then he gave up a home run to Max Muncy, pulling the Dodgers within one and pulling Fuentes from the game, robbing the world of the second four-inning save of this postseason.

Fuentes threw 47 pitches to record his 11 outs and struck out three Dodgers, after a 31-percent strikeout rate to fuel his 2.45 ERA in 73 1/3 innings during the regular season.

Meanwhile, 15 Braves reached base on Sunday, including eight walks by Dodgers pitchers, just the eighth game in Dodgers postseason history with at least eight walks.

Last-ditch effort

Muncy’s home run brought in Raisel Iglesias, the Braves’ closer, and brought pinch-hitter Josue De Paula to the plate as the potential tying run. It was the first major league postseason at-bat for the 21-year-old De Paula, but he popped out in four territory to end the game with the Dodgers just short.

NLDS Game 2 particulars

Home run: Freddie Freeman (1), Max Muncy (2)

WP — Dylan Lee (2-0): 2/3 IP, 1 hit, 1 walk, 1 strikeout

LP — Kris Bubic (0-1): 2/3 IP, 1 hit, 1 run, 1 walk

Sv — Raisel Iglesias (2): 1 up, 1 down

Up next

The Dodgers turn to Yoshinobu Yamamoto in Game 3 in Atlanta on Tuesday night (3:08 p.m. PT, FS1), while the Braves will have ace Chris Sale rested and ready to start after a pair of Atlanta bullpen games to open the series.

Major League Baseball's further-expanded postseason probably means that no playoff records will be safe in the years to come, with more October games than ever before.

All 18 of Mickey Mantle's home runs came in the World Series as the Hall of Famer retired before the introduction of the League Championship Series in 1969. Previously, the top team in each league would go directly to the World Series at the end of the regular season.

These days with a 12-team postseason field, a team can play up to 22 games – compared to seven in Mantle's day – meaning plenty more opportunities to accumulate stats on baseball's biggest stage.

But Manny Ramirez, who last played in the postseason in 2009, still holds the record with 29 home runs in the postseason. Jose Altuve ranks second in history with 28 – including one in the AL wild card series – but the Houston Astros will have to get back to the postseason

Here's a look a the all-time leaders in career postseason home runs:

Most postseason home runs in MLB history

• Manny Ramirez – 29 (493 plate appearances)
• Jose Altuve – 28 (492 PA)
• Kyle Schwarber – 24 (309 PA)
• George Springer – 23 (384 PA)
• Bernie Williams – 22 (545 PA)
• Derek Jeter – 20 (734 PA)
• Alex Bregman – 19 (455 PA)
• Albert Pujols – 19 (360 PA)
• Corey Seager – 19 (346 PA)
• Carlos Correa – 18 (358 PA)
• Nelson Cruz – 18 (207 PA)
• Bryce Harper – 18 (263 PA)
• Reggie Jackson – 18 (318 PA)
• Mickey Mantle – 18 (273 PA)
• Giancarlo Stanton – 18 (203 PA)

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Most MLB postseason home runs: See the all-time list of career leaders

LOS ANGELES – Josue De Paula's plans for October originally included a trip back home and three weeks off to spend time with family before picking up his offseason training regimen. That was until he got a call from Los Angeles Dodgers manager Dave Roberts a few days ago.

Instead, the 21-year-old rookie will spend the month on the Dodgers' postseason roster, waiting in the wings for when Roberts calls his number.

"I was shocked. I was happy," De Paula said. "There was a lot of emotions going on at the same time. A lot of thoughts going into it, like envisioning how this is going to be. I'm just going along for the ride and see how everything comes to me."

De Paula's role will be primarily as a lefty bat off the bench, and Roberts has mentioned there aren't many guys in his lineup that he'll pinch-hit for, so his opportunities will be limited as the Dodgers attempt to make history in their push for a third consecutive World Series championship.

It's not a position he's used to; De Paula admits he's only been a pinch hitter once or twice in his entire minor league career, the most recent of which was in 2024 with High-A Great Lakes. He pinch-hit once in his first big league series on the road in Cincinnati and recalls liking the adrenaline that came with it. To build on that, De Paula has been leaning on the vets in the clubhouse to try and keep everything as close to his normal routine as possible despite the unfamiliar role.

Still, the organization's co-minor league player of the year made such an impression on both Roberts and president of baseball operations Andrew Friedman in his first 11 big league games in September that they have full trust in De Paula to be their "bullet off the bench" in big situations. If needed, they won't hesitate to go to him.

"To have somebody like that, those two people to have so much confidence in me, it just kind of gives me extra confidence. Obviously I feel like I have a lot of confidence in myself to go out there and handle business, but to have those guys backing me, it's like, 'Oh, yeah, let's get it started,'" De Paula told USA TODAY Sports. "'Let's fight.'"

His poise at the plate and calm demeanor both in the box and with the media is balanced out by the energy De Paula brings out once he does square up a ball or draw a walk. The utter joy with which he approaches his game made every at-bat must-watch viewing over the roughly two-week span he filled in for an injured Shohei Ohtani.

Not that he planned to become a fan favorite; it's just who De Paula is. And it makes him contagious.

"At the end of the day this is a game," he said. "And I just try to make sure everybody's having fun while we're doing it. Why not kick butt and have fun at the same time, you know what I'm saying?"

Playing time is going to be scarce, so De Paula's using the time to his advantage. He's worked with Roberts on shagging flyballs, he's taken grounders from third base coach Dino Ebel, and he's picking the brain of six-time Gold Glove outfielder Mookie Betts.

Last October, De Paula was watching the Dodgers repeat from Miami. This time, he's in the dugout at Dodger Stadium, soaking up every moment he can as he waits for his postseason moment.

"I just feel like you can't replicate it anywhere else," he said. "Seeing it on TV and being here is two different worlds."

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Josue De Paula embracing new Dodgers role, awaits playoff moment as bench bat

Dodgers two-way superstar Shohei Ohtani has a bigger spotlight on him than just about anybody else in sports.

His wife, Mamiko Tanaka, prefers to stay out of the spotlight as much as possible.

This is why it’s always cool to see Mamiko out in public, particularly when she’s at Dodgers games.

She was one of many Dodgers WAGs who showed up for their team’s NLDS Game 2 showdown against the Braves.

All of these wives posed for a photo together pregame, which was posted on the @ladodgerwives Instagram account.

“Game 2, little less hot but we’re still [bringing] the heat ,” the post was captioned.

Mamiko Tanaka can be seen in the second row, on the far left. She’s wearing a black top in the photo.

Tanaka also appeared at NLDS Game 1 on Saturday. She was rocking a similar outfit in the WAG group’s photo, but this time she was posing in the front row and holding a See’s Candies bag.

Ohtani and Tanaka have two children. It looks like they were able to get a babysitter for these two games, especially because it might not have been safe for them in the insane heat Los Angeles is experiencing this weekend.

Ohtani and his teammates are looking to turn up the heat on Atlanta by going ahead 2-0 in the series.

Kyle Tucker started the season as the Dodgers’ No. 2 hitter.

There’s a chance he ends it batting in that spot.

No joke.

By the time the Dodgers reach the World Series, Kyle Tucker — yes, that Kyle Tucker — could be back in the heart of their order.

That probably won’t happen over the remainder of the National League Division Series against the Braves. But making the $240 million disappointment a focal part of the offense will be something the Dodgers might have to eventually consider, especially if their two best left-handed hitters prove to be physically compromised.

Shohei Ohtani isn’t expected to be close to full strength in these playoffs because of discomfort in his right arm and left knee. Freddie Freeman is dealing with a right knee problem. 

Ohtani batted second for the Dodgers in the first two games of the NLDS, and Freeman batted cleanup. Each of them collected a single on Saturday in their 5-3 win in Game 1, with Freeman also drawing a key fourth-inning walk that set up a two-run home run by Teoscar Hernandez.

Manager Dave Roberts isn’t about to drop Ohtani or Freeman in the order. The more games the Dodgers play, however, the more Ohtani’s and Freeman’s bodies could feel it, and that could require Roberts to rethink whether Tucker should continue batting in the bottom half of the lineup.

Batting sixth, Tucker was 2 for 4 with a two-run home run that was ultimately the difference for the Dodgers in Game 1, but the idea of him taking a more prominent role in the offense shouldn’t be viewed as an overreaction to an isolated incident.

This was the version of Tucker who quietly emerged over the second half of September as the Dodgers cruised into the postseason.

Over his final 17 regular-season games, Tucker batted .333 with five home runs and 11 RBIs. He registered an OPS of 1.072.

Tucker had a number of teases over a grueling regular season, showing flashes of the hitter he used to be, only to immediately revert back to his season-long slump. Statistically, he finished with his worst regular-season numbers since becoming a full-time player, as he batted .233 with 17 home runs and 70 RBIs. 

Because they had a bye in the wild-card round, the Dodgers had a five-day break between their regular-season finale in San Francisco and their opening game of the NLDS. Considering how many stop-and-gos Tucker experienced in the regular season, the fact he was able to maintain his form over five days of inactivity was a promising sign.

“Everyone stayed ready,” Tucker said. “Just did some intrasquads and live BPs, just practice in general. Everyone was prepared for what we needed to do once these games started. They’ve been doing it for a while now. Everyone kind of has an idea of what they need to do once these games roll around.”

Tucker wasn’t the same after breaking his right hand while playing for the Cubs last year, and Dodgers coaches think they have unlocked something to offset the physical changes that he might have undergone then. If they did, they might have found a luxurious insurance policy for Ohtani and Freeman.

Given where Ohtani and Freeman are physically, Tucker could be positioned to provide something they might not be able to: power.

The Dodgers are generally a home run-dependent team, and the low-scoring environment of the postseason will make them even more so. To that point, every run they scored in Game 1 was scored via the home run.

Regardless of whether Tucker moves up in the order or just adds length to the lineup, the Dodgers will be delighted if he continues to hit — delighted for not only the team but also for Tucker individually.

“I think we all know the struggles he had this year,” Roberts said. “I give him a lot of credit for grinding through it, not running from it, always posting and kind of getting to the other side of it.”

He might now be ready to deliver for the Dodgers when they need it most.

Mason Miller threw Jackson Chourio a 100 mph fastball to begin the biggest at-bat of the Milwaukee Brewers season.

Then he threw him a 102 mph and a 104 mph fastball for strikes.

As Miller continued to throw gas up in the zone, Chourio did his best to battle them off knowing that the San Diego Padres closer was baiting him and soon going to throw a slider.

On the fifth pitch he did. A hanging slider that was low in the zone. Chourio remarkably laid off it to stay alive. With the count 2-2, Miller threw another 101 mph fastball up in the zone. This time Chourio was ready and he beat the best closer in baseball.

Milwaukee’s 22-year-old star lined Miller’s 101.3 mph fastball through the middle with two outs in the bottom of the ninth Sunday, scoring Christian Yelich and Sal Frelick for a stunning 4-3 walk-off victory over the Padres in Game 2 of the NLDS.

JACKSON CHOURIO IS THE WALK-OFF HERO IN GAME 2! pic.twitter.com/mZVRRVd4Xv

— MLB (@MLB) October 4, 2026

It was less a rally than it was a jailbreak.

The Padres entered the ninth with a 3-2 lead and a 98% win probability, handing the baseball to a pitcher who had spent October turning opposing hitters into strikeout statistics. Miller retired Milwaukee in order in the eighth, giving him 12 strikeouts among his first 15 batters faced this postseason — an MLB record.

After Miller retired the first batter of the ninth, Yelich walked and stole second. Frelick walked. Andrew Vaughn flied out, bringing San Diego within one out of escaping Milwaukee with a split.

Instead, Gary Sánchez worked a full-count walk to load the bases.

Up came Chourio.

Miller attacked him with the kind of velocity that has made October at American Family Field resemble a drag strip. His fastball registered 104 mph. Chourio eventually fell behind with two strikes but refused to become another name on Miller’s growing list of strikeout victims.

On the sixth pitch of the at-bat, Chourio barreled a 101.3 mph fastball back through the box, just beyond Jake Cronenworth’s desperate diving attempt. Yelich scored. Frelick followed. The Brewers poured from their dugout while Miller walked off the mound having experienced something few hitters have managed to give him:

Defeat.

“Happy I could come through with that hit there,” Chourio said through an interpreter. “I’ve got my family here in the stands, so I dedicate this one to them.”

At 22 years, 80 days, Chourio became the second-youngest player in MLB history with a postseason walk-off hit, behind only Edgar Renteria in 1997.

And this was no ordinary arm he conquered. Miller and Brewers flamethrower Jacob Misiorowski have helped turn this NLDS into baseball’s velocity series. Through two games, the teams have combined for 83 pitches of at least 100 mph, already an MLB postseason series record and it isn’t even close.

The previous record was 56 back in 2016 in a four-game series between the Chicago Cubs and San Francisco Giants. The Padres and Brewers have almost doubled that total in half the games.

But the 83rd and final pitch of over 100 mph in Game 2 of the NLDS on Sunday was the only one that mattered. The Padres were one strike away from tying the series. Instead, Chourio turned into a 2-0 Milwaukee lead to send the series to San Diego where the Padres will need to make some history of their own.

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The moment you dream of as a kid. Bottom of the 9th, bases loaded, two outs, two strikes, facing the top closer in the game, the entire game all comes down to this. Jackson Chourio lived that moment, he was born for that moment, and he delivered in that moment.

Chourio ripped a 109.5 MPH line drive back up the middle, past the diving glove of Jake Cronenworth. Yelich scored easily, Jackson Merrill fielded the ball cleanly in center, Sal Frelick was getting waved home, it was going to be close. The throw was just a bit wide and Freddy Fermin couldn’t come up with it cleanly, but it didn’t matter anyway because it looked like Frelick was going to be safe regardless.

JACKSON CHOURIO WINS IT. PANDEMONIUM IN MILWAUKEE. pic.twitter.com/WJ0muePo1D

— Milwaukee Brewers (@Brewers) October 4, 2026

The Brewers escape with a 2-0 series lead, which is remarkable because for most of this game, the Brewers did not look like the team that deserved to win it.

Logan Henderson was doing a solid job of keeping the Brewers in the game, despite the Padres continuing to work counts against him. Henderson had nearly struck out the side in the first inning, but a check swing by Manny Machado was ruled to have not gone, which led to a walk. Then a wild pitch put Machado on second, followed by Ty France slapping a single to the opposite field to give the Padres a 1-0 lead. Henderson rebounded to retire eight straight.

But the Brewers defense had some uncharacteristic struggles in this game. In the 5th, Brice Turang completely missed an easy double-play ball up the middle and it went right through his legs. That put runners at the corners with one out. With a chance for redemption on the next play, Turang fielded it cleanly and got the lead out, but Pratt’s relay to first was short and couldn’t be picked, which was another error and meant another run came around to score. That made it a 2-0 Padres lead.

Meanwhile, Padres starter Michael King was cruising through most of this game. He made it through four perfect innings, retiring the first 14 batters he faced, before the Brewers finally broke through with two outs in the 5th inning. The captain, Christian Yelich, ripped a double into the right field corner. Yelich could’ve tried for third after Fernando Tatis Jr bobbled the ball, but shortstop Xander Bogaerts perfectly executed a deke, laying down a fake tag to convince Yelich the throw was coming in and to slide into second base.

Ultimately, that deke didn’t prevent Yelich from scoring when Sal Frelick singled to left on an 0-1 pitch.

Captain doubles → Sal drives him in pic.twitter.com/YBuX3rTMXN

— Milwaukee Brewers (@Brewers) October 4, 2026

Cooper Pratt followed with a single and the Brewers had two on for David Hamilton and a chance to tie the game and keep the rally going. But Hamilton ultimately popped out to third and the threat was ended.

Both managers went to their bullpens one batter into the 6th inning. That kept the game where it was at 2-1, until we got to the 7th.

The Padres added an insurance run after yet another defensive miscue, a fielding error by David Hamilton, allowed Fernando Tatis Jr to reach base. A walk to Manny Machado by Abner Uribe put Tatis on second, where he came around to score on a single by Ty France. But Sal Frelick was able to gun down Machado trying to head to third to end the inning, though Tatis had already crossed the plate and the run counted to make it a 3-1 Padres lead.

Milwaukee had a big chance in the 7th inning, starting with a Garrett Mitchell leadoff single. Yelich crushed a baseball to left-center and it seemed ticketed for extra bases, but Merrill ran it down and made a leaping grab. But a walk by Frelick and then a fielder’s choice by Pratt brought up David Hamilton. Hamilton a little dribbler toward second, Cronenworth bobbled then rushed the throw and threw it into the dugout. That brought Mitchell home and left runners on 2nd and 3rd for Chourio.

Chourio grounded out to short, seemingly dashing the Brewers best hopes to take the lead in this one with Mason Miller looming for the final two innings.

But the hopes clearly were not dashed.

It started with a walk from Yelich, followed by a stolen base, then a walk by Frelick. Murphy went to his veterans on the bench. Andrew Vaughn pinch-hit first, and flew out to center. Then it was up to Gary Sanchez, who worked the count full and drew a walk to load the bases for Chourio. Chourio got his chance at redemption and came through in the 9th inning for one of the most memorable postseason moments in franchise history.

A SWING THAT WILL GO DOWN IN BREWERS HISTORY pic.twitter.com/PxiGlbo93y

— Milwaukee Brewers (@Brewers) October 4, 2026

This very well might be a “Where were you when?” kind of moment.

“He’s, I think, turning into a bona fide, top-flight player. Couldn’t be happier for him because he brings it every day.” Pat Murphy said.

“He loves those moments. And he knows how talented he is and what he can do on a baseball field. He can do anything. So when he comes up in that situation, just with everything that’s going on in that inning, you just feel good about it.” Christian Yelich said.

Chourio said back in September that he felt he was “born for those moments” when the game is on the line. He was asked when he first felt that way. Chourio said “I look back to my first year, my rookie year. It was a game against Seattle. And I think I was the last out, punched out against (Andres) Munoz. He was on the mound at the time. At that point, everything turned for me. I told myself i was never going to make the last out. I’d dedicate myself to fighting and doing whatever I could for the team and not having that feeling again from that specific game.”

That game was April 6, 2024. That was the only loss the Brewers had in that series against Seattle, they lost 5-3. It was a relatively non-descript game, nothing seemingly special about it. A random April game in Seattle during Chourio’s rookie year was the catalyst for him to become one of the best clutch hitters in the game. This was seven games into his MLB career. Truly special.

The Brewers could very easily be down 0-2 in this series. They didn’t play great in this one, especially defensively. They could’ve easily lost Game 1 as well. Instead, they are up 2-0 and in command of this series as it heads to San Diego.

When the lights shine the brightest, Jackson Chourio has risen to the occasion. He was born for those moments.

The Dodgers are never short on celebrities when they play playoff games at home.

And the current heat wave in Los Angeles didn’t keep these celebrities away when the Dodgers beat the Braves 5-3 on Saturday.

Among these was Vanessa Bryant, who posted several photos and videos from her time at Saturday’s Dodgers game to her Instagram after the game.

One of the photos showed Bryant sitting alongside Dodgers first baseman Freddie Freeman’s wife, Chelsea. And another showed Bryant posing while holding two children.

“Game 1 W in 110° ,” the post was captioned, which is a reference to how hot the temperature was during the Dodgers’ win.

Bryant is one of the most beloved figures in Los Angeles, and it’s always cool to see her supporting the city’s various sports teams.

The stars are surely out for Game 2 of the NLDS between the Dodgers and Braves on Sunday evening. Atlanta is going with a second consecutive bullpen game instead of starting ace Chris Sale on short rest, which should benefit the Dodgers’ offense.

Blake Snell started for Los Angeles, as he hopes to give his team a 2-0 lead before the series heads to Atlanta later this week.