Tyler Mahle will carry Atlanta’s season into Game 4 on Wednesday, taking the ball at Truist Park with the Braves down 2-1 to the Dodgers in the National League Division Series. The right-hander has turned from a deadline question mark into the club’s steadiest October arm, and now gets the start that can force this best-of-five matchup back to Los Angeles for a deciding game.
Key takeaways
- Mahle starts Wednesday’s Game 4 at 6 p.m. ET, with FS1, FOX Deportes and FOX One carrying the potential elimination game.
- Atlanta acquired Mahle from San Francisco on Aug. 2 after he posted a 5.13 ERA across 18 Giants starts.
- In nine regular-season outings for the Braves, Mahle recorded a 1.99 ERA.
- He held Philadelphia to one run in seven innings during Game 2 of the NL Wild Card Series.
- Mahle threw seven shutout innings against the Dodgers on April 22, his only start against Los Angeles this season.
A deadline pickup becomes Atlanta’s October answer
When the Braves brought Mahle aboard before the Trade Deadline, there was skepticism around whether he was the kind of starter built for postseason games. Atlanta saw enough beneath the uneven San Francisco numbers to make the move, particularly after Mahle returned from a month out with a hamstring strain and delivered a 3.73 ERA in seven starts.
The Braves also believed a small adjustment could unlock more. Mahle had begun reshaping his approach after coming off the injured list in June, cutting back on his cutter while leaning more heavily on his splitter. The results have been as strong as any stretch of his career.
In two September starts against the Phillies, Mahle allowed just one earned run over 13 innings. He followed that with another composed outing against the same opponent in the Wild Card round, yielding one run over seven frames.
Manager Walt Weiss said Mahle’s impact has surpassed even the club’s hopes after the trade. “He has been incredible,” Weiss said. “We could not have expected him to pitch at this level, but he has. It really changed our rotation.”
Third baseman Austin Riley has watched Mahle become a trusted presence quickly. “He’s meant a lot to us since he arrived,” Riley said. “I think he’ll be ready for this moment.”
One more big assignment against Los Angeles
The Dodgers have already seen what Mahle can do when he is in command. On April 22, he blanked Los Angeles for seven innings, the only time he faced the club during the regular season.
Now the circumstances are sharper. Los Angeles newcomer Tarik Skubal limited Atlanta to one run in six innings in the NLDS opener after posting a 2.61 ERA over 10 regular-season starts for the Dodgers. Mahle, meanwhile, has been even tougher since joining Atlanta, and the Braves need that version of him again Wednesday.
Mahle said the pressure will not be entirely unfamiliar. September brought a series of meaningful games against Philadelphia, contests that helped prepare him for the postseason stage.
“Those September starts against the Phillies were important games,” Mahle said. “I expect this to have a lot of the same feeling.”
For Atlanta, the assignment is plain: win behind Mahle and extend the season by one more game. The right-hander has already changed the outlook of the Braves’ rotation. In Game 4, he gets the chance to keep its October alive.
