Dodgers begin quest for third straight World Series title by holding on for Game 1 win over Braves
LOS ANGELES — Tarik Skubal authored the latest chapter in his October résumé Saturday, delivering a masterclass in postseason starting pitching to carry the Los Angeles Dodgers to a 5-3 victory over the Atlanta Braves in Game 1 of the National League Division Series at Dodger Stadium.
The two-time American League Cy Young winner, making his first NLDS start since being acquired by Los Angeles, silenced a dangerous Atlanta lineup for six innings. He struck out seven, allowing just one run on two hits and two walks, providing the stability the Dodgers needed while their offense solved a patchwork Braves bullpen.
The win gives Los Angeles an early 1-0 lead in the best-of-five series as they pursue a third consecutive World Series championship. Game 2 is scheduled for Sunday afternoon at Dodger Stadium.
Atlanta, playing its first game since completing a three-game Wild Card Series sweep of the Philadelphia Phillies, employed a bullpen strategy necessitated by a depleted relief corps. Starter Dylan Dodd was brilliant in his three innings of work, retiring nine of the ten batters he faced while allowing just two hits.
The game pivoted sharply in the bottom of the fourth inning when Braves manager Walt Weiss turned to Victor Mederos. The right-hander recorded one out but quickly lost the strike zone. A walk to Freddie Freeman brought Teoscar Hernández to the plate with one on. Mederos left a 92.3 mph cutter over the heart of the plate, and Hernández did not miss. He drove the ball 431 feet into the left-field bleachers at 109.9 mph exit velocity for a two-run home run, pausing momentarily in the batter’s box to admire the flight before flipping his bat toward the Dodgers’ dugout.
A bloop single by Kyle Tucker chased Mederos from the game. A.J. Smith-Shawver entered and escaped the inning, but the damage was done: Los Angeles led 2-0.
Skubal, meanwhile, was in complete command. After yielding a leadoff single to designated hitter Drake Baldwin in the first inning, the left-hander retired 15 consecutive Braves hitters. The streak ended in the top of the sixth when catcher Sean Murphy turned on a 99 mph fastball, depositing it 421 feet over the left-center field wall for a solo shot that cut the deficit to 2-1.
Atlanta threatened to tie or take the lead immediately after. Ha-Seong Kim and Ozzie Albies drew two-out walks to bring All-Star first baseman Matt Olson to the plate with runners on first and second. Skubal responded by inducing a weak fly ball to left field, stranding the runners and preserving the lead.
The Dodgers answered decisively in the home half of the inning. With one out, Hernández laced a single up the middle. Tucker followed by launching a 97 mph fastball from Smith-Shawver 408 feet over the right-field wall for a two-run blast. Two batters later, Max Muncy added a solo home run to right, stretching the advantage to 5-1 and effectively knocking Smith-Shawver from the contest.
Handcuffed by their Wild Card Series workload, the Braves were forced to leave Smith-Shawver in to absorb innings, limiting the damage to three runs in the frame.
The game tightened in the ninth inning against closer Tanner Scott. Ronald Acuña Jr. led off with a walk, and Albies crushed a two-run home run to make it a 5-3 game, bringing the tying run to the plate. Scott composed himself to retire the next two batters, handing the ball to Evan Phillips for the final out.
Phillips immediately walked Mauricio Dubón, moving the winning run into the batter’s box in the form of Austin Riley. The third baseman grounded sharply to right fielder Mookie Betts, who fielded it cleanly to end the game.
For the Dodgers, the formula was familiar: elite starting pitching setting the table, supplemented by the middle-of-the-order power that has defined their regular-season dominance. For the Braves, the search for answers against a rested, deep Los Angeles roster continues Sunday.
