Los Angeles Dodgers ace Tarik Skubal led his squad to a 5-3 National League Division Series Game 1 win over the Atlanta Braves at home on Saturday.
Skubal finished with seven strikeouts, allowing just one earned run and two hits over six innings in his first postseason appearance with the Dodgers after being traded from the Detroit Tigers at the deadline.
L.A. entered the NLDS opener as 1.5-point favorites, according to FanDuel Sportsbook, hoping to begin its quest for a third straight World Series title with a Game 1 win over the Braves.
Behind a stunning performance from Skubal that held Atlanta to one run and a barrage of home runs, the Dodgers delivered on those expectations, taking Game 1 at home and looking every bit like a team capable of making another run at a championship.
American League Wild Card
National League Wild Card
American League Division Series
National League Division Series
Teoscar Hernández launched a 431-foot, two-run homer in the bottom of the fourth to bring in Freddie Freeman and kick off the scoring after a pitching clinic by both teams’ aces, Dodgers’ Skubal and Braves’ Dylan Dodd.
The Braves responded in the top of the sixth when Sean Murphy opened the inning with a 421-foot bomb to center field, cutting the deficit to 2-1.
The Dodgers were having none of that, adding two more home run punches from Kyle Tucker and Max Muncy in the bottom of the sixth to bring in three runs.
In a last-ditch effort by the Braves in the top of the ninth, Ozzie Albies homered to center field with no outs, bringing in two runs to cut the deficit to 5-3.
With a runner on second and two outs, Austin Riley grounded out to shortstop, ending a near-comeback by the Braves.
Game 2 will remain in Los Angeles on Sunday, with first pitch scheduled for 8 p.m. ET and available to watch on FS1.