Atlanta’s Game 2 at Dodger Stadium carries the kind of October weight that arrives early in a best-of-five series. The Dodgers took the opener, 5-3, and can put the Braves in a 2-0 hole Sunday night before the National League Division Series moves to Truist Park.
Key takeaways
- Game 2 is scheduled for 8 p.m. ET and 5 p.m. PT at Dodger Stadium, with Fox, FOX Deportes and FOX One carrying the broadcast.
- Los Angeles will send left-hander Blake Snell to the mound, while Atlanta had not settled on its starter.
- Clubs that have gone ahead 2-0 in a best-of-five postseason series have won 83 of 93 times, an 89 percent rate.
- Atlanta has all of its principal late-inning relievers rested, and the Dodgers expect their full bullpen to be available as well.
- Teoscar Hernández and Kyle Tucker each hit a two-run homer in Los Angeles’ Game 1 victory.
A steep October hill for Atlanta
The Braves are not formally in elimination territory, but the history attached to a second road loss is unforgiving. Since the present Division Series setup began, only three teams out of 36 have dropped the first two games away from home and still won the series.
Dodgers manager Dave Roberts called the opening win “certainly important” and said his club is in a favorable position after taking Game 1. His team now has a chance to seize command before the series heads east.
Atlanta reliever Brent Suter framed Sunday as an opportunity rather than a burden. The Braves already have a special group, he said, but want to make this a “really, really special postseason.” That requires coming away with one in Los Angeles.
Roberts also enters the game one postseason managerial win from tying Tony La Russa for second place all-time with 71. Joe Torre remains the leader with 84 October victories.
Reggie Smith, the newest Legends of Dodger Baseball inductee, is set to throw the ceremonial first pitch.
Snell is ready, while the Braves weigh their options
Snell gets the ball for the Dodgers after an uneven road to this point. The left-hander was limited to nine regular-season starts by shoulder fatigue and elbow surgery to remove loose bodies. He also left his next-to-last September outing with tightness in his left groin, though he felt sound after his final regular-season appearance and during workouts in the bye week.
His strikeout rate of 11.6 per nine innings ranked sixth among qualified MLB starters with at least 40 innings. Snell’s first Dodgers postseason last October began brilliantly: he posted a 0.86 ERA, allowing two earned runs over 21 innings in three starts through the NL Championship Series. The World Series went differently, as he surrendered five earned runs in each of his two starts, an ending that has added fuel to this return.
Atlanta’s decision begins with Chris Sale. The 37-year-old threw 95 pitches against Philadelphia on Tuesday, then added 21 pitches while finishing the Braves’ three-game Wild Card Series on Thursday. If Sale is not used as the starter, Grant Holmes is a possibility after working two relief innings Thursday. Rookie JR Ritchie is another potential choice.
A Sale start could alter the Dodgers’ batting order. Los Angeles could lean further right-handed, with Kiké Hernández a possibility at third base in place of Max Muncy and Miguel Rojas potentially taking second base over Tommy Edman.
Atlanta’s projected lineup features Drake Baldwin at designated hitter, followed by Ronald Acuña Jr. in right field, Ozzie Albies at second, Matt Olson at first, Michael Harris II in center, Mauricio Dubón at shortstop, Austin Riley at third, Sean Murphy behind the plate and Lane Thomas in left.
Murphy has made noise quickly this postseason, recording a double and a home run in his first six at-bats. He is also 3-for-8 in his career against Snell, with a double and homer. Thomas is expected to make his first start since straining his left intercostal muscle on Sept. 7.
The Dodgers’ projected order has Mookie Betts at shortstop, Shohei Ohtani at DH, Will Smith catching, Freddie Freeman at first, Teoscar Hernández in left, Tucker in right, Andy Pages in center, Rojas at second and Kiké Hernández at third.
Albies has been Atlanta’s hottest regular through four postseason games, going 4-for-12 with two homers and a triple. Harris owns a .908 OPS in 17 plate appearances, while Riley has a .792 OPS across 16 trips. Baldwin is 3-for-17, Olson is 2-for-15 and Acuña is 2-for-13.
For Los Angeles, Teoscar Hernández and Tucker carried their strong regular-season finishes into the Division Series opener with their two-run shots. Edman, who posted a .659 OPS in September, went 0-for-2 with a walk in Game 1.
Both managers should have plenty of late options. Raisel Iglesias, Didier Fuentes, Dylan Lee and Robert Suarez each enter with at least two days’ rest for Atlanta. The Dodgers used Brock Stewart, Alex Vesia, Tanner Scott and Evan Phillips in the opener, but no one exceeded 15 pitches, leaving the entire relief corps available after the bye.
Atlanta will be without right-hander Bryce Elder, who underwent right knee surgery, and left-hander Martín Pérez, sidelined by lower-back discomfort, for this series. Either could return if the Braves reach the NL Championship Series.
The Dodgers continue to manage lingering issues for Ohtani, dealing with his right biceps and left knee, and Freeman, who has a right knee concern. Will Klein has faced hitters while recovering from right elbow discomfort, but has not appeared in a game since July 31 and is viewed as depth rather than a prominent option. Blake Treinen, sidelined by right shoulder inflammation, is not expected to pitch this postseason.
