The defending champions opened October exactly the way they drew it up. Dodgers vs Braves NLDS Game 1 went to Los Angeles, 5-3, on Saturday at Dodger Stadium, as trade-deadline ace Tarik Skubal dominated for six innings with seven strikeouts in triple-digit heat, and Teoscar Hernández, Kyle Tucker and Max Muncy all went deep to back him.
It was a sweltering, high-stakes afternoon in Chavez Ravine — 100 degrees at first pitch, the hottest playoff game in Dodger Stadium history outside of one — and the Dodgers’ imported left-hander never flinched. Los Angeles takes a 1-0 lead in the best-of-five National League Division Series and moves one step closer to becoming the first NL club to win three straight championships, according to Reuters.
Dodgers vs Braves NLDS Game 1: How the Dodgers Won It
The Dodgers broke through in the fourth inning against Atlanta’s bullpen game. After left-hander Dylan Dodd — who opened with three scoreless innings, allowing only singles to Shohei Ohtani and Mookie Betts — gave way to Victor Mederos, the right-hander walked Freddie Freeman and then served up a 431-foot, two-run blast to Hernández that put Los Angeles up 2-0, per Reuters.
The Braves finally got to Skubal in the sixth, when Sean Murphy led off with a two-strike, 421-foot homer to center that cut the lead to 2-1. But the Dodgers answered immediately in the bottom of the frame. Against AJ Smith-Shawver, Tucker slugged a two-run homer and Muncy followed two batters later with a solo shot down the right-field line, stretching the advantage to 5-1.
Muncy’s homer was his 17th career postseason home run, extending his Dodgers franchise record. It was a fitting exclamation point from a veteran who has lived in the middle of every October this club has played.
Atlanta managed just four hits on the afternoon. The late drama came in the ninth, when Ronald Acuña Jr. singled off Tanner Scott and Ozzie Albies crushed a 432-foot, two-run homer to cut the Dodgers’ lead to 5-3, per NBC Sports. Scott got two more outs before Evan Phillips entered, walked Mauricio Dubón to bring the tying run to the plate, and then induced a groundout from Austin Riley to short to nail down the save.
Dodgers vs Braves NLDS Game 1: Skubal’s Statement Start
This is precisely the moment the Dodgers paid for when they pried Skubal from the Detroit Tigers at the Aug. 2 trade deadline. The two-time defending AL Cy Young winner gave up one run on two hits with two walks over six innings in his first postseason start for Los Angeles — and the first home playoff start of his career, after six previous October outings all came on the road with Detroit.
Skubal allowed only one hit through five scoreless innings on the mound in the furnace, per Reuters, and his 63 strikeouts are the second-most in a pitcher’s first seven postseason appearances, behind only Bob Gibson’s 74, according to NBC Sports.
It was a vindication of the club’s boldest October call. As covered in our Game 1 preview, Los Angeles chose Skubal over 2025 World Series MVP Yoshinobu Yamamoto for the opener — and in 100-degree heat, the lefty looked every bit like the ace of a three-peat bid.
The 100-Degree Heat Factor
The weather was the game’s unofficial second star. The game-time temperature of 100 degrees fell just short of equaling the Dodger Stadium record of 103 degrees set at Game 1 of the 2017 World Series, per NBC Sports. The feels-like temperature reached 105 degrees, with umpires chugging water between innings and fans shielding their heads with giveaway towels on a cloudless day.
Extreme heat reshapes playoff baseball in subtle ways — pitchers labor, grips on breaking balls get trickier, and bullpens become a war of attrition. The Dodgers’ depth, built for exactly this kind of October test, held up.
Where the Braves Go From Here
Atlanta arrived off a wild-card series win over the Philadelphia Phillies that upended its rotation — the Braves used ace Chris Sale in relief in the deciding game, which is why Dodd opened Game 1 with a bullpen game. For more on how the Braves punched their ticket, read our Game 3 recap. The Braves are trying to advance past the NLDS for the first time since winning the World Series in 2021, per Reuters.
Dodgers vs Braves NLDS Game 1 Takeaways: What’s Next
Game 2 is Sunday evening at Dodger Stadium, when an extreme heat warning remains in effect, per NBC Sports. The Dodgers will send two-time Cy Young winner Blake Snell to the mound, while the Braves had yet to announce a starter.
Tucker’s breakout is a subplot worth watching. His two-run homer came after a disappointing regular season in which his .715 OPS was lower than all but one Dodgers player who played in at least 90 games, per Reuters — not exactly what Los Angeles expected from the first season of a four-year, $240 million contract. A big October would change the conversation fast.
One game down, three to go for the three-peat. Saturday belonged to Skubal — and to a lineup that made sure his furnace of a debut ended with a win.
FAQ
What was the final score of Dodgers vs Braves NLDS Game 1?
The Dodgers beat the Braves 5-3 on Saturday, October 3, at Dodger Stadium. Tarik Skubal threw six dominant innings with seven strikeouts, and Teoscar Hernández, Kyle Tucker and Max Muncy all homered, according to Reuters.
How did Tarik Skubal pitch in the Dodgers vs Braves NLDS Game 1?
Skubal gave up one run on two hits with two walks and seven strikeouts over six innings in 100-degree heat. It was his first postseason start for Los Angeles after arriving from the Tigers at the Aug. 2 trade deadline, and the first home playoff start of his career.
How hot was it during Dodgers vs Braves NLDS Game 1?
The game-time temperature was 100 degrees, just short of the Dodger Stadium playoff record of 103 degrees set at Game 1 of the 2017 World Series. The feels-like temperature reached 105 degrees, per NBC Sports.
When is NLDS Game 2 between the Dodgers and Braves?
Game 2 is Sunday evening at Dodger Stadium, with an extreme heat warning still in effect. Dodgers left-hander Blake Snell is the scheduled starter; Atlanta had yet to announce a starter as of Saturday night, per NBC Sports.
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