The National League Division Series is officially set: it’s the Los Angeles Dodgers against the Atlanta Braves, kicking off Saturday at Dodger Stadium. These two powerhouses have basically owned the top of the National League for the last decade, clashing three times in the playoffs. Remember those two absolute classic NLCS matchups? Each team used one of those as a launchpad to a championship, and now, after a five-year hiatus from postseason face-offs, they’re back.
This is a rivalry that runs deep. The Dodgers grabbed their title in 2020, then the Braves followed up with one in 2021. The next two years, 2022 and 2023, both squads were absolutely tearing it up, posting triple-digit win totals and looking like unstoppable forces in the NL. But both times, they sputtered out in the NLDS, leaving fans craving that NLCS rubber match that just never happened. Then, the Dodgers went on to stack up two more championships in 2024 and 2025. During that time, Atlanta hit a bit of a rough patch, losing in the Wild Card round in ’24 and even missing the postseason entirely last year. But they’re back now, big time, having locked up the NL East title with a 94-68 record. This series feels like it’s been a long time coming.
And Atlanta’s path here was intense. They just took care of the Philadelphia Phillies in three games in the Wild Card round at Truist Park. But that win might have come with a price, especially when you look at the pitching matchup they’re about to face. The Braves absolutely owned the regular season series against the Dodgers this year, taking five out of six games, including a three-game sweep at home from August 25-27 where every single game was decided by just one run. Braves ace Chris Sale was a big reason for that dominance, allowing only three runs (two earned) in 16 innings against the Dodgers over his two starts, racking up 18 strikeouts. The Dodgers’ only win against Atlanta all season? That was Sale’s first start back on May 8. He then followed that up with a complete 1-0 shutout against them on August 27.
So, here’s the kicker: Sale pitched on Tuesday against the Phillies. The smart money was on him being unavailable to start against the Dodgers until at least Game 2 on Sunday. But then he went and pitched an inning and a third in Game 3 of that Wild Card series. Now, the 37-year-old Sale has pitched on four days’ rest only twice this season, both of those times were back in April. With a travel day break before Game 1 on Saturday, Atlanta’s rotation plans are suddenly a huge open question mark. Meanwhile, the Dodgers, who earned that valuable bye, are sitting pretty, with the luxury to set up their rotation exactly how they want for what’s sure to be a scorching Game 1 start. It’s going to be wild to see who Atlanta throws out there first, and how they navigate a series against a team that’s had their number, even with Sale’s previous dominance. Get ready, because Saturday is going to be something else.
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by True Blue LA.
Leave a Reply