Atlanta won five of six against Los Angeles in the regular season. That gives the Braves a reason to believe—but not a guarantee—against the defending champion Dodgers when the best-of-five NLDS opens Saturday at Dodger Stadium. Los Angeles is chasing a third straight World Series title, a feat no National League team has achieved.
The matchup brings an unusual Game 1 decision into focus: the Dodgers will start Tarik Skubal, not Yoshinobu Yamamoto. Skubal brings postseason experience from his time with Detroit, including a 14-strikeout outing against Cleveland last year. Yamamoto, meanwhile, delivered consecutive complete games in last year’s NLCS and World Series. Choosing Skubal is a notable matchup play, especially with Atlanta having faced left-handed starters in its Wild Card Series.
The Braves have their own early-series complication. They needed all three games to eliminate Philadelphia, and Chris Sale threw the final four outs of Thursday’s clincher. He is not available before Game 2, while Tyler Mahle is unavailable before Game 3. Atlanta’s Game 1 starter was listed as undecided, with Grant Holmes and a possible Brent Suter opener among the options. The short turnaround tests the Braves’ pitching depth before the series even settles in.
Still, Atlanta arrives with some October momentum: Matt Olson, Ozzie Albies and Michael Harris II all homered in the clincher, and Harris went 5-for-11 in the Wild Card round. The Dodgers have the rest advantage and a formidable roster, but their regular-season meetings were not one-sided in their favor: Atlanta outscored them 26-15. Game 1 asks whether that head-to-head edge carries over—or whether Los Angeles’ rested, reshuffled staff can immediately tilt the series.
