For the first time since the 2021 NLCS, the Braves & Dodgers will meet in a playoff round. These two teams have had some wild battles over the past decade, and the next installment may live up to the hype.
Scheduled Starters & Start Times
- Game 1: TBD vs. Tarik Skubal (Dodgers)
- Game 2: TBD vs. TBD
- Game 3: TBD vs. TBD
- Game 4: TBD vs. TBD
- Game 5: TBD vs. TBD
Game 1 will be on October 3 at 4 PM ET/1 PM PT. One day later, Game 2 will be contested at 8 PM ET/5 PM PT. The series will move to Atlanta for Games 3 & 4. Game 3 will be on October 6 at 6 PM ET/3 PM PT, while Game 4 is one night later at the same time. A fifth game, if necessary, would be on October 9 at 8 PM ET/5 PM PT.
All games will air on FOX or FS1.
A Look at the Offenses
| Stat |  |  |
|---|---|---|
| Runs Scored | 742 | 801 |
| Home Runs | 182 | 204 |
| OPS | .718 | .762 |
| Whiff% | 24.7% | 24.1% |
| Hard Hit% | 39.9% | 39.6% |
While the Dodgers come into the series with an elite offense, buoyed largely by Mookie Betts, and yes, Kyle Tucker — the two hit 13 combined home runs in September — there’s the Shohei Ohtani question.
Ohtani received some work over the final week, after Los Angeles activated him from the injured list. The two-way star was not working at full health over September before his placement on the IL, and it showed both at the plate & on the stat sheet. In fact, Ohtani had the highest Whiff% among hitters last month.
There’s plenty of depth in this lineup, which also includes ex-Brave Freddie Freeman, to get through to the NLCS. That much is obvious. But if the leadoff man isn’t right, that could be a problem.
Atlanta’s offense came through in the NL Wild Card Round. Matt Olson, Ozzie Albies, and Michael Harris II all hit home runs in the last round, with Harris’ first-inning blast setting the tone in Game 3. And in Game 1, Austin Riley put a months-long skid aside to hit a mammoth shot in the eighth inning of that affair.
Like the Dodgers, the Braves have an elite offense. Meaning, this series will likely come down to how much the two clubs’ pitching staff can limit the other team.
A Look at the Pitching
| Stat | | |
|---|---|---|
| Starters’ ERA | 3.76 | 3.43 |
| Relievers’ ERA | 3.44 | 3.74 |
| Strikeouts | 1350 | 1521 |
| Opponents’ AVG | .234 | .218 |
| Chase% | 30.9% | 33.1% |
Chris Sale was the MVP of the NL Wild Card Round for the Braves. Sale left Game 1 with a lead before the bullpen let it get away temporarily. And in Game 3, Sale shut the door on the Phillies’ 2026 season. Along the way, Sale led all Wild Card pitchers in Whiff%.
This has been, arguably, the best Sale has ever pitched in his Major League career. His velocity ticked up to the triple digits over the last few weeks, including during his last start against the Dodgers.
The only question that needs to be asked is when will Sale pitch in the NLDS?
Moving to the Dodgers, Tarik Skubal is getting the ball for Game 1. That’s not a shock, as Skubal is the de facto mercenary, brought in to help deliver a third straight World Series title for the Dodgers. He was sharp in September, as the left-hander struck out 33 over 32 IP over the final month.
After that, things get even more interesting, thanks to Yoshinobu Yamamoto and Blake Snell. Snell, who left a start in Cincinnati late in the year, returned and tossed four innings during the Dodgers’ last regular-season series versus the Giants.
Then, there’s how Dave Roberts will handle the bullpen. Tanner Scott was strong over the final month, with a Whiff% in the top 10 of MLB, which helped him strike out 15 over 8.2 IP in September. Yes, the ERA was a tad high, although that’s not too much of a concern for now.
Edwin Diaz was good upon his return, and Edgardo Henriquez was activated off the IL earlier this week. Lots of intrigue here.
Our Prediction
It’s very difficult to predict against the Dodgers here.
The Braves have the team to pull off the upset. But with all that starpower on the Los Angeles roster, many of whom on that roster have won two titles, it’s going to be a tall task.
Check out more of our MLB coverage, including our preview of the White Sox/Guardians series.