TLDR: The Dodgers took Game 1 on 3 home runs and an ace who retired 15 straight. Atlanta now has to answer from Dodger Stadium on Sunday, and as of the last update it still hadn't named who gets the ball.
The Dodgers lead the NLDS 1-0 and start Blake Snell in Game 2, the 2nd straight lefty for an Atlanta lineup that was ordinary against left-handers this year. Atlanta's starter was still unannounced, with Chris Sale held back and Perez, Elder, Strider and Schwellenbach all unavailable, so the Braves will likely piece the game together from the bullpen. The result decides whether Los Angeles heads to Atlanta 1 win from the NLCS or the series goes there tied.
Blake Snell (4-1, 1.90) takes the mound for Los Angeles at 5:00 PM PT. That makes 2 straight left-handed starters for a Braves lineup that hit .240/.300/.396 against lefties during the regular season. Atlanta's side of the card says TBD, and Walt Weiss wouldn't name a Game 2 starter after the opener. He has said it won't be Chris Sale. Sale threw 95 pitches in the Wild Card opener against Philadelphia and came back for 21 more in the clincher. MLB.com lists Grant Holmes and rookie JR Ritchie as the fallback options, and Tyler Mahle's name has also come up. Expect a staff day more than a traditional start.
TBD
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TBD
ND
—IP
—ER
—K
—BB
—P
10/04 Lineup
Blake Snell
(4-1)·1.90 ERA
Sep 26 @ Giants
ND
4.0IP
1ER
3K
0BB
77P
10/04 Lineup
That scramble is what the injury list did to Atlanta. Martin Perez (back) and Bryce Elder (knee) are both ruled out for the NLDS. Spencer Strider and Spencer Schwellenbach are done for the year. Mahle hurt his abdomen warming up for Wild Card Game 2 and still gave the Braves 7 innings of 1-run ball. In Game 1, Dylan Dodd opened with 3 scoreless innings, then the thinned staff behind him gave up 5 runs. Lane Thomas could be back from an intercostal strain for his first postseason start, and Sean Murphy is 3-for-8 with a homer against Snell in his career. Both bullpens have had at least 2 days off, so every high-leverage arm should be available.
Snell is the bigger question mark on the Los Angeles side. Since coming back from a long injury absence he has struck out 50 in 39.2 innings, but his last tune-up against the Giants lasted only 4 innings and 77 pitches. Last October he posted a 0.86 ERA through the NLCS, then gave up 5 earned runs in each of his World Series starts. When he's sharp, he can carry a game. When he isn't, the Dodgers are in the bullpen by the 5th.
The Dodgers have won 4 straight, counting the sweep of the Giants that closed their regular season. Game 1 showed what this lineup does to a patched-together pitching day: Teoscar Hernández, Kyle Tucker and Max Muncy all went deep once Dodd left. Atlanta took 2 of 3 from the Phillies to get here and finished 94-68, so this isn't a club that folds. Still, 4 hits and 1 run against Skubal is a quiet night, and the rotation isn't giving the offense any margin.
This is the swing game of the series. In a best-of-5, teams that go up 2-0 have won 83 of 93 times. A Dodgers win sends the 2-time defending champs to Atlanta 1 win from the NLCS, with Yoshinobu Yamamoto lined up for Game 3. A Braves win splits the 2 games in Los Angeles and sends the series home even. Forecast is 90 degrees and clear at first pitch, so the ball should carry, and the Braves' pitching plan has very little room for error.
NLDS Game 2: Dodgers Hand Snell the Ball While Braves Hunt for a Game 2 Starter | Polymarket Odds · Barstool Bush
