The Atlanta Braves are coming home with the National League Division Series all even after splitting the first two games against the Los Angeles Dodgers at Dodger Stadium over the weekend.
In Game One on Saturday, the Dodgers used the long ball and a strong performance from Tarik Skubal to hand Atlanta a 5-3 loss. Skubal allowed just one run on two hits over six innings while striking out seven. Los Angeles did its damage with three home runs, as Teoscar Hernández, Kyle Tucker and Max Muncy all went deep.
The Braves didn’t go quietly. Trailing 5-1 entering the ninth inning, Atlanta made things interesting when Sean Murphy and Ozzie Albies both homered, cutting the deficit to two. But the comeback came up short as the Dodgers closed out the 5-3 victory to take a one-game lead in the best-of-five series.
Atlanta responded in Game Two on Sunday, and Michael Harris II led the way in a huge 3-2 Braves victory. Harris went 3-for-5 with a triple, double, RBI and a run scored, finishing just a home run shy of the cycle. He tripled and later scored on a wild pitch in the fifth before delivering an RBI double in the seventh.
The Braves also got a tremendous effort from their pitching staff. Ray Kerr opened the game with 2⅔ scoreless innings, while 21-year-old Didier Fuentes recorded 11 outs in relief. The Dodgers managed solo home runs from former Brave Freddie Freeman and Max Muncy, but Atlanta’s bullpen kept Los Angeles from putting together a big inning. Raisel Iglesias came on to record the final out and earn the save.
The 3-2 victory evened the NLDS at one game apiece, and more importantly, Atlanta now has home-field advantage in what has become a best-of-three series.
The series now shifts to Atlanta and Truist Park for Game Three Tuesday night at 6 p.m., with Braves ace Chris Sale expected to get the start. Game Four is scheduled for Wednesday night, also at 6.
After dropping the opener 5-3, the Braves bounced back with a 3-2 victory Sunday night. Atlanta and Los Angeles are tied at one game apiece, and now the battle for a spot in the National League Championship Series comes to Atlanta. You can listen to Game Three Tuesday Night and game four Wednesday night starting with the Braves pregame show 4:50 on Kool 102.7 with first pitch for both games set for 6:05.
