Major League Baseball locked Game 1 into a 1 p.m. start time at Dodger Stadium despite triple-digit heat. The Atlanta Braves advanced Thursday to set up their fourth postseason meeting with Los Angeles in nine years.
MLB scheduled Game 1 of the National League Division Series between the Los Angeles Dodgers and the Atlanta Braves for 1 p.m. Saturday at Dodger Stadium.
The Dodgers didn’t learn their opponent until Thursday night, when the Braves eliminated the Philadelphia Phillies in a decisive Game 3 at Truist Park. Michael Harris II helped send Atlanta through to face Los Angeles. Atlanta had won Game 1 on Tuesday on an eighth-inning three-run home run before Philadelphia evened the series in Game 2. The best-of-five NLDS begins Saturday, Oct. 3, marking the fourth postseason clash between the two teams in nine seasons following matchups in 2018, 2020 and 2021.
The early start comes with triple-digit temperatures forecast for Los Angeles on Saturday. Dodgers manager Dave Roberts made clear beforehand that he preferred to avoid a day game in the 100-degree heat. The time was fixed at 1 p.m. instead of 6 p.m. after the San Diego Padres eliminated the Chicago Cubs on Wednesday.
The Dodgers, the reigning World Series champions, held a simulated game at Dodger Stadium on Thursday while watching the Braves and Phillies on the video board. Joe Davis will call the series for Fox Sports. Roberts declined to announce his starting pitchers, while infielder Miguel Rojas was away from the team and Los Angeles made a roster move.
San Diego advanced by sweeping Chicago in two games at Petco Park, holding the Cubs to one run and eight hits after Chicago led baseball in scoring during the regular season. Michael King took a no-hitter into the seventh inning and struck out eight batters during an 8-0 shutout in Game 1, backed by early home runs from Fernando Tatis Jr. and Manny Machado. San Diego finished the sweep with a 4-1 victory Wednesday and moves on to play the Milwaukee Brewers. Elsewhere, the New York Yankees and Chicago White Sox advanced while the Boston Red Sox and Houston Astros were eliminated. Division series play begins Saturday with a four-game slate.
