Michael Harris II tripled and scored the go-ahead run on a fifth-inning wild pitch as the Atlanta Braves defeated the Los Angeles Dodgers 3-2 on Sunday night at Dodger Stadium, evening the National League Division Series at one game apiece.
Sunday night’s matchup in Los Angeles turned into a stark demonstration that regular-season advantages rarely dictate October outcomes. The Dodgers entered the evening holding a rotation luxury that most postseason clubs only dream about, sending two-time Cy Young Award winner Blake Snell to the mound against an Atlanta squad forced to piece together its third bullpen game in four days.
Yet baseball is entirely indifferent to pedigree on paper. By the time the final out was recorded, the Braves had successfully worked a split in enemy territory, shifting the series back to Truist Park.
Dave Roberts Lifts Blake Snell After Shortest Postseason Outing
Dodgers manager Dave Roberts lifted Snell after 3 2/3 innings on 90 pitches—representing the starter’s shortest postseason outing since 2022 with San Diego.
While Snell battled his mechanics and departed early, the Braves orchestrated another masterclass in pitching coordination. Ray Kerr, who dominated as an opener three nights prior in a win-or-go-home wild-card game against the Philadelphia Phillies, took the ball for the first eight outs.
It wasn’t the plan. Believe me.
The original blueprint called for ace Chris Sale to take the mound. However, Sale’s relief appearance to close out the wild-card series left his exact availability in question, prompting Atlanta’s front office to pivot toward another bullpen architecture.
Michael Harris II Drives in Go-Ahead Run
The Dodgers briefly reclaimed life in the fourth inning when Freddie Freeman welcomed his former club with a solo home run to dead center. But the tie evaporated in the fifth against reliever Kris Bubic.
Michael Harris II launched a deep fly ball to left field that misread caroms off the wall for a triple. Moments later, Bubic uncorked a wild pitch that allowed Harris to scamper home with the go-ahead run. Harris added an insurance run in the seventh with a scorching RBI double against Edgardo Henriquez, capping a night where he finished a home run shy of the cycle.
Michael had a great game. Postseason, you never know what’s going to happen. There’s no blueprint. There’s no playbook. There seems to always be unsung heroes in the postseason.
Following Harris’s spark, Didier Fuentes took over on the mound. The right-hander delivered nine consecutive outs across the sixth, seventh, and eighth innings, leaning heavily on a fastball and a sharp slider.
Ninth-Inning Drama and the Road to Atlanta
Max Muncy injected immediate tension into the bottom of the ninth, turning on a fastball from Fuentes and sending it 397 feet to narrow the gap to 3-2. But closer Raisel Iglesias slammed the door shut, inducing a popup from pinch-hitter Josue De Paula to collect his second save of the postseason.
The Dodgers left seven runners stranded over the first five innings and finished 0-for-8 with runners in scoring position, unable to generate offense beyond the long ball.
| Series Detail | Game 1 | Game 2 |
|---|---|---|
| Winner | Los Angeles Dodgers | Atlanta Braves |
| Score | 5-3 | 3-2 |
| Location | Dodger Stadium | Dodger Stadium |
The series now shifts across the country. Yoshinobu Yamamoto and Chris Sale are slated to square off in Game 3 on Tuesday evening at Truist Park.
