Dodgers move Ohtani to No. 5 for Game 3 as Braves tie NLDS 1-1
Version 2: The Braves won Game 2 3-2 to tie the series, and the Dodgers moved Shohei Ohtani to the No. 5 spot for Game 3 against left-hander Chris Sale.
In short
The Los Angeles Dodgers beat the Atlanta Braves 5-3 in Game 1 of their NLDS, but the Braves won Game 2 3-2 in Los Angeles to tie the best-of-five series 1-1, the AP reported. For Game 3 in Atlanta, Dodgers manager Dave Roberts moved Shohei Ohtani to the No. 5 spot in the lineup, calling it a one-game adjustment against Braves left-hander Chris Sale. Newsweek reported the Dodgers also dropped Max Muncy from the Game 2 lineup and started Miguel Rojas.
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The Los Angeles Dodgers beat the Atlanta Braves 5-3 in Game 1 of their National League Division Series at Dodger Stadium on Saturday, Fox News and Newsweek reported. Fox News said Dodgers starter Tarik Skubal, a two-time American League Cy Young winner, struck out seven and allowed one run on two hits and two walks over six innings. The Braves used a bullpen game, Fox News reported: Dylan Dodd threw three scoreless innings, and Victor Mederos gave up a two-run, 431-foot home run to Teoscar Hernández in the fourth. Newsweek reported that Max Muncy homered in the sixth to give the Dodgers a 5-1 lead. [ 1 , 2 ]
Before Game 2, the Dodgers dropped Muncy from the lineup and started veteran infielder Miguel Rojas, Newsweek reported. Newsweek said the decision likely followed the Braves’ choice of left-hander Ray Kerr and manager Dave Roberts’ tendency to avoid same-sided matchups. Newsweek also reported that Muncy holds the Dodgers’ all-time postseason home run record with 17. The AP later reported that the Braves won Game 2, 3-2 at Los Angeles, tying the best-of-five series 1-1. Newsweek, writing before Game 2, said a win on Sunday would give the Dodgers a 2-0 lead before the series moved to Atlanta, but also referred to the potential win as coming Friday. [ 2 , 4 ]
For Tuesday night’s Game 3 in Atlanta, Roberts moved designated hitter Shohei Ohtani to the No. 5 spot, the AP reported. Newsweek’s summary and the AP’s Spanish-language headline also reported the move. Roberts called it a one-game adjustment to give the Dodgers a different look against Braves left-hander Chris Sale, according to the AP. With the series tied 1-1, Roberts had Mookie Betts leading off and Freddie Freeman batting second, the AP reported. Ohtani is 3 for 15 with no home runs and one RBI against Sale in his career, the AP said, and was 0 for 4 with two strikeouts when Sale shut out Yoshinobu Yamamoto and the Dodgers 1-0 on Aug. 26. The No. 5 spot is the lowest Ohtani has hit since 2020 with the Angels, the AP reported. “We all understand that Sale’s gonna be tough,” Roberts said. “But the guys I feel at the top have a good chance to get on base, and I do think that there’s going to be opportunities where the game, the situation, bleeds into Shohei’s at-bat.” [ 3 , 4 , 5 ]
The series is best-of-five, with the first two games in Los Angeles and Game 3 in Atlanta. Fox News described the Dodgers as beginning their quest for a third straight World Series title. Newsweek said teams with a 2-0 lead have won 83 of the 93 NLDS matchups in the best-of-five format, but after Game 2 the series was tied 1-1. The AP reported the Game 3 lineup decision before the crucial game. [ 1 , 2 , 4 ]
Why it matters
The series is tied 1-1 in a best-of-five format, making Game 3 in Atlanta pivotal, the AP reported. The Dodgers’ decision to move Ohtani down in the order is a matchup adjustment against left-hander Chris Sale, whose career numbers against Ohtani the AP detailed. The coverage treats the series as a US sports story with no wider consequences reported.
Key facts
- The Los Angeles Dodgers beat the Atlanta Braves 5-3 in Game 1 of their NLDS at Dodger Stadium. [ 1 , 2 ]
- Tarik Skubal started for the Dodgers, striking out seven and allowing one run on two hits and two walks over six innings, Fox News reported. [ 1 ]
- Teoscar Hernández hit a 431-foot, two-run home run in the fourth inning off Braves reliever Victor Mederos, Fox News reported. [ 1 ]
- Max Muncy homered in the sixth to give the Dodgers a 5-1 lead and holds the Dodgers’ postseason home run record with 17, Newsweek reported. [ 2 ]
- The Dodgers dropped Muncy from the Game 2 lineup and started Miguel Rojas, Newsweek reported. [ 2 ]
- The AP reported the Braves won Game 2 3-2 at Los Angeles to tie the best-of-five series 1-1. [ 4 ]
- The Dodgers moved Shohei Ohtani to the No. 5 spot for Game 3, a one-game adjustment against Braves left-hander Chris Sale, manager Dave Roberts said. [ 3 , 4 , 5 ]
- Ohtani is 3 for 15 with no home runs and one RBI against Sale in his career, and was 0 for 4 with two strikeouts when Sale shut out the Dodgers 1-0 on Aug. 26, the AP reported. [ 4 ]
Confirmed by several sources
Still unclear
- The detailed Game 1 statistics and sequence, including Skubal’s six innings, Hernández’s 431-foot home run and the Braves’ bullpen plan. These specifics appear only in Fox News’ account and are not corroborated by the other documents.
- The identity of the Braves’ manager. Fox News names Walt Weiss in that role; no other document names a Braves manager, so the claim rests on a single source.
- The day Game 2 was played. Newsweek says a win on Sunday would give the Dodgers a 2-0 lead but also refers to the potential win as coming Friday; AP’s photo captions date Game 2 to Sunday, Oct. 4.
- Whether Ray Kerr actually started Game 2 for Atlanta. Newsweek said he would start; AP’s report that the Braves won Game 2 3-2 does not name a Braves starting pitcher.
- Manager Dave Roberts said the move was a one-game adjustment against Braves left-hander Chris Sale. Reported by a single source so far
What local media are saying
Timeline, local time
- Fox News publishes its report on Game 1, saying the Dodgers beat the Braves 5-3 at Dodger Stadium on Saturday afternoon. [ 1 ]
- Newsweek reports that the Dodgers have dropped Max Muncy from the Game 2 lineup and that Ray Kerr will start for Atlanta. [ 2 ]
- Newsweek’s summary reports that the Dodgers moved Shohei Ohtani to the No. 5 spot in the lineup for Game 3 against the Braves. [ 3 ]
- The AP reports that manager Dave Roberts moved Ohtani to No. 5 for Game 3, calling it a one-game adjustment against Chris Sale. [ 4 ]
- The AP publishes a Spanish-language headline reporting the same Ohtani lineup move. [ 5 ]