The Dodgers kicked off their National League Division Series against the Atlanta Braves on Saturday at Dodger Stadium with a 5-3 victory, highlighted by an unexpected power surge from right fielder Kyle Tucker.
Under a scorching 100-degree afternoon, Tucker, who has been seen by some fans as an overpaid outcast given his $60 million annual salary and a .196 home batting average, drove an AJ Smith-Shawver fastball 408 feet over the right-field fence in the sixth inning. This two-run homer extended the Dodgers' lead and shifted the momentum, setting the stage for what some observers are already calling a potential series sweep, despite the Dodgers only leading one game to none in the best-of-five series.
Manager Dave Roberts acknowledged Tucker's struggles throughout the season but praised his perseverance. "Our fans, they really remember what you do in the postseason. So this is certainly a way to change the story for a season in 2026," Roberts said. Tucker, who caught the final out of the 2022 World Series with the Houston Astros and has played in 72 postseason games, finished the regular season strong with a .969 OPS in September, including six homers and 13 RBIs.
The Dodgers' win saw other key contributions. Pitcher Tarik Skubal, making his first Dodger postseason start after being traded from Detroit on August 2, delivered six innings of brilliance, allowing only one run and two hits while striking out seven. He retired 15 batters in a row at one point, with his only blemish being a solo homer from Sean Murphy.
Offensively, Teoscar Hernández, who leads the Dodgers with 27 RBIs over the last three postseasons, opened the scoring with a two-run homer in the fourth. Max Muncy added to the lead in the sixth with a blast over the right-field fence, giving the Dodgers a 5-1 advantage.
The game wasn't without its late-inning drama. The Dodger bullpen nearly gave the game away when Ozzie Albies hit a two-run homer off Tanner Scott in the ninth. However, Evan Phillips was brought in to record the final out, saving the game for the Dodgers.
The Braves, fresh off a wild-card series against the Philadelphia Phillies, appeared to be struggling, with a taxed bullpen and a seemingly wasted offense. They dug deep into their bullpen for all eight innings on Saturday and may face difficult pitching decisions for Game 2.
Pre-game discussions also centered on the Dodgers' pitching rotation strategy. Many questioned the decision to start Skubal in Game 1, with Blake Snell slated for Game 2, and last season's playoff hero Yoshinobu Yamamoto on the bench until Game 3. The team's reasoning was that Skubal could get two full-rest starts in this series, while Yamamoto, who requires an extra day's rest, would still get one start in this series and two in the subsequent National League Championship Series. Dodgers president of baseball operations Andrew Friedman expressed confidence in the team's depth, stating, "I feel like this is the best and deepest pitching staff we’ve ever had going into October."
Questions also loomed over the health and performance of Shohei Ohtani and Freddie Freeman, who combined for two singles in seven at-bats, showing little power. Ohtani, battling arm and leg injuries, entered the game batting .157 since August 18 with no home runs during that period. He commented through an interpreter, "As of now, it’s something I’m just going to have to manage."
