The Los Angeles Dodgers stand one victory shy of the NLCS after their power bats exploded for a 3-1 Game 3 win against the Atlanta Braves on Tuesday, pushing them to a commanding 2-1 series lead. This pivotal victory came thanks to crucial home runs from Enrique Hernández and Freddie Freeman, backed by a dominant outing from their ace.
Dodgers’ Power Bats Show Why They’re Champs
What a display of power from the back-to-back World Series champion Dodgers. Even with Shohei Ohtani not quite himself at the plate right now, this squad is far from a one-man show. In the regular season, L.A. ranked second in MLB in slugging and tied for seventh in home runs, one of only nine teams to smash over 200 dingers in 2026. They’ve got the depth, boasting four hitters with at least 20 homers, seven with at least 15, and nine who hit double digits this season. That power was on full display in the game-changing top of the fourth. Enrique Hernández, batting ninth for Dave Roberts, absolutely tattooed a 1-0 changeup from Braves ace Chris Sale with a runner on, making it a 2-0 Dodgers lead. That was Hernández’s 12th career postseason bomb for the Dodgers, putting him ahead of Duke Snider and Ohtani, who both have 11. Just two batters later, Freddie Freeman went deep himself, sealing the deal. With Yoshinobu Yamamoto in peak form, giving up only one run over seven innings with 10 strikeouts and just one walk, plus a bullpen that got the job done, those two blasts were more than enough.
Sale’s Good Start Derailed, Padres Face Elimination
For the Braves, Game 3 started with so much promise for Chris Sale. Manager Walt Weiss cleverly kept him out of Game 2, meaning Sale was on full rest when he took the mound. But even with a fresh arm, he wasn’t good enough to contain the Dodgers’ relentless power. Those two crucial home runs were all L.A. needed, and Sale took the loss. Meanwhile, the nightcap featured the Milwaukee Brewers and San Diego Padres. The Brewers entered Petco Park up 2-0 in that series after two white-knuckled contests back in Milwaukee. The Padres are now staring down an elimination game, tasked with the monumental challenge of winning three straight against what’s being called the best team in baseball just to advance to the NLCS.
The Dodgers now head into their next game needing just one win to punch their ticket to the NLCS, while the Braves are scrambling to stay alive. Over in the other series, the Padres face a brutal do-or-die scenario, needing to pull off a miracle comeback against the Brewers.
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by CBS Sports.
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