Dodgers Beat Braves in NLDS Series Opener

Photo by Luke Hales/Getty Images

October 3, 2026

Dodgers 5, Braves 3

A three-home-run performance helped the Los Angeles Dodgers beat the Atlanta Braves 5-3 in Game One of the NLDS at Dodger Stadium in Los Angeles on Saturday. Teoscar Hernandez hit a two-run homer in the fourth. Kyle Tucker blasted a two-run home run of his own while Max Muncy also went yard to score the Dodgers’ final run in the sixth. This came as Tarik Skubal made his Dodgers playoff debut, going six innings with seven strikeouts. Additionally, the relief unit combined for two strikeouts against the Braves, who hit two home runs.

Close One

Drake Baldwin singled off Skubal in the first, but the Braves failed to record another hit against the left-hander in the remainder of the inning. In the bottom half, Dylan Dodd struck out Mookie Betts looking but gave up a single to Shohei Ohtani. Yet, the Dodgers failed to produce another hit against the lefty.

After Dodd made it through the second and third, the Braves replaced him with Victor Mederos, who walked Freddie Freeman in the fourth. With a runner on first, Hernandez crushed a two-run 431-foot homer off the right-hander to give the Dodgers a two-run lead. Mederos gave up a single to Tucker, which ended his outing as the Braves replaced him with AJ Smith-Shawver.

Skubal, on the other hand, was in control for some time, retiring the side in order across the next four innings with six strikeouts. However, Sean Murphy hit a 421-foot solo shot off the lefty in the sixth to cut the Dodger lead down to one. Skubal also issued free passes to Ha-Seong Kim and Ozzie Albies. Kim was tagged out trying to reach second while a flyout ended the frame. Skubal’s outing ended after six innings as Brock Stewart replaced him.

Dodgers Jump Ahead

Smith-Shawver attempted to settle into the sixth, but Hernandez lined a single and Tucker hit a 408-foot two-run home run off the right-hander. This gave the Dodgers a three-run lead, which increased to four after Max Muncy crushed a 354-foot solo shot. Brent Suter replaced Smith-Shawver and got Ohtani to fly out to center, then gave up a single to Freeman before striking out Hernandez to end the bottom of the seventh. Alex Vesia, on the other hand, struck out pinch hitter Lane Thomas swinging and kept the Braves from getting much going in the eighth.

The ninth began with Ronald Acuña Jr. recording a single and Albies crushing a 432-foot two-run home run off Tanner Scott to cut the Dodgers’ lead to two. The Dodgers removed Scott to replace him with Evan Phillips, who sealed the two-run victory.

What Went Right For The Dodgers

Hernandez went 2-for-4 with two RBI and a fourth-inning two-run homer. Tucker had two hits, two RBI and a two-run home run in the sixth. Lastly, Muncy hit a solo shot in the sixth. Overall, the Dodgers tallied eight hits, five RBI and three home runs.

Skubal lasted six innings with seven strikeouts in his Dodgers postseason debut. While he did allow two hits, two walks and an earned run, he did enough to set his team up for a successful afternoon. Stewart and Vesia combined for two strikeouts in two innings as Phillips sealed the triumph in the ninth.

What Went Wrong For The Dodgers

After five scoreless innings, Skubal gave up a 421-foot solo home run to Murphy in the sixth. Scott surrendered a single to Acuña and a two-run homer to Albies.

What Went Right For The Braves

Murphy scored the first Braves run on the aforementioned home run in the sixth inning. Albies crushed a two-run shot to bring the Dodger lead down to two. Dodd, on the other hand, lasted three innings with four strikeouts. He only allowed two hits, while Suter had three strikeouts in two innings.

What Went Wrong For The Braves

Mederos struggled against the Dodgers, surrendering two hits and two earned runs in the fourth. Smith-Shawver faced similar pressure, giving up three hits, two walks, and three earned runs.

Looking Ahead

After taking game one, the Dodgers look to improve on their performance in Game Two of the NLDS. Left-hander Blake Snell (4-1, 1.90 ERA) starts for the Dodgers while the Braves have yet to announce who will be starting. First pitch for Game Two of the NLDS from Dodger Stadium on Sunday is at 5:00 pm Pacific.