LOS ANGELES — The potential road to history for the Los Angeles Dodgers begins with a reunion as the National League Division Series starts Saturday afternoon with a visit from the Atlanta Braves.
Freddie Freeman has been a major postseason contributor during the Dodgers’ consecutive World Series titles, and the veteran will be in the heart of the order again in a matchup against his former team.
Freeman also was invaluable in the 2021 World Series when the Braves won their most recent title. Freeman joined the Dodgers as a free agent in 2022 after Atlanta moved on to Matt Olson as their first baseman.
While Freeman has won three rings in five seasons, the Dodgers are trying to become the first National League club to win championships in three consecutive years. Only two American League franchises have ever done it: the New York Yankees and Oakland Athletics.
The Yankees were the last to accomplish the feat when they won championships in 1998, 1999 and 2000.
“We don’t need to be adding any extra pressure onto ourselves,” Dodgers third baseman Max Muncy said. “We’ve been saying that for a long time. When you talk about three-peating, you’re putting that extra pressure on it that doesn’t need to be there. Winning a World Series is already hard enough as it is.”
After returning from a biceps injury during the final week of the regular season, Shohei Ohtani will be back atop the Los Angeles order when the club’s postseason run begins.
Left-hander Tarik Skubal was named the Dodgers’ Game 1 starter over right-hander Yoshinobu Yamamoto. Skubal arrived just before the trade deadline in a deal with the Detroit Tigers and went 5-2 with a 2.61 ERA in 10 starts for his new club.
Skubal is 0-1 with a 4.91 ERA in two career starts against Atlanta, including an outing in April when he gave up two runs over seven innings in a no-decision.
The Braves opened their postseason by getting past the Philadelphia Phillies in the wild-card round. Atlanta won a winner-take-all Game 3 on Thursday behind a three-run home run from Michael Harris II and a dominating day on the mound. Six pitchers kept Philadelphia in check, including staff ace Chris Sale, who recorded the final four outs.
The Braves face the Dodgers after going 5-1 against them in the regular season, including a three-game home sweep in late August.
“Everyone knows the Dodgers have a juggernaut, but we played well against them this year,” Atlanta manager Walt Weiss said. “I know that doesn’t carry a whole lot of stock. Once the playoffs begin, everybody starts at zero. The Dodgers are healthier now than they were when we saw them.”
Weiss has yet to name his Game 1 starter, with a left-handed opener a possibility to line up against early left-handed bats like Ohtani and Freeman.
The Braves will continue to be without a pair of starters in right-hander Bryce Elder (knee) and left-hander Martin Perez (back).
Like Freeman before him, Olson has emerged as a Braves leader, along with Ronald Acuna Jr. Olson hit a team-best 41 home runs in the regular season and added another in the wild-card round. Harris hit 26 home runs in the regular season and Acuna added 20 homers and 21 steals.
“I think it’s just kind of going out there and playing our game and knowing that … we can compete with them and beat them,” said Braves catcher Drake Baldwin, an All-Star and 2025 NL Rookie of the Year who contributed 25 home runs.
–Doug Padilla, Field Level Media
