The Los Angeles Dodgers are kicking off their quest for a three-peat in the NLDS on Friday, but don’t let their 100-win season fool you into thinking it’s a smooth ride. Superstar Shohei Ohtani, by his own account, is still managing multiple issues after spending half of September on the injured list, casting a massive shadow over their World Series favorite status.
Dodgers’ Ace Move And The Ohtani Question
It’s NLDS time, and the Dodgers are sending trade deadline acquisition Tarik Skubal to the mound to open their playoff campaign. That’s a bold move, showing they’re not messing around after a 100-win regular season. But hey, that regular season was a bumpy road at times, right? Now you add in Ohtani’s ongoing issues, and you have to wonder how much that’s going to hurt them. He was on the injured list for half of September! This isn’t some minor tweak, folks. For a team that’s the consensus World Series favorite, that kind of question mark is a serious concern.
Braves’ Scrappy Path To Dodger Stadium
Across the diamond, the Atlanta Braves are fresh off a wild-card series win, and they earned it the hard way. They were taken to three games by the Philadelphia Phillies in what was the only competitive series of the wild-card round. But when it came down to Game 3, it was all Braves. They pieced together that victory using six different pitchers, with Michael Harris II, Ozzie Albies, and Matt Olson all crushing home runs to seal the deal. So, they’re coming in hot, even if they’re throwing a bullpen game against Skubal and the Dodgers.
So, get ready. Game 1 of the NLDS between the Braves and Dodgers kicks off at 4 p.m. ET from Dodger Stadium in Los Angeles, live on Fox. This is where the rubber meets the road. Can the Dodgers overcome Ohtani’s health issues and start their three-peat run strong, or will the scrappy Braves, fueled by their wild-card battle, surprise them? We’re about to find out.
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by Yahoo Sports.
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