Dodgers Push Yamamoto to NLDS Game 3 as 2 Lefties Open Series Against Braves

Q: Will the Braves' desperate opener gamble successfully silence the Dodgers' rested MVP duo?

Probably not for long, though it could buy Atlanta a short window. The Braves’ opener plan is logical, not reckless. Dylan Dodd gives them a left-handed look against Shohei Ohtani and Freddie Freeman at the top of a Dodgers lineup built around lefty threats, and he has been effective in relief this season, carrying a 2.54 ERA, a 0.91 WHIP and holding opponents to a .176 average in 49 2/3 innings. Atlanta also saw this template work in the Wild Card Series, when Ray Kerr neutralized Philadelphia early and helped set up a bullpen game. But the larger problem is coverage, not the first inning. Dodd has not started in the majors since 2023, and the Braves are asking Grant Holmes and the rest of a taxed staff to piece together most of the game against a rested Dodgers club coming off a bye. Chris Sale is unavailable for Game 1 after heavy Wild Card usage, Tyler Mahle is not expected until Game 3, and Bryce Elder and Martín Pérez remain out. That leaves little margin for error once Los Angeles sees Dodd and begins forcing Atlanta into less favorable matchups. Ohtani and Freeman may be slowed briefly by the handedness play, especially if Dodd executes and Holmes gives quality bulk innings. But over nine innings, the Dodgers’ depth, patience and rest make it unlikely that Atlanta fully “silences” its MVP-caliber duo. The gamble can keep the Braves competitive early; expecting it to shut down both stars all afternoon is a bigger reach.

3 articles · Updated · True Blue LA · Oct 3

Blake Snell will start Game 2 on Sunday and Yoshinobu Yamamoto will go in Game 3 on Tuesday in Atlanta, after Los Angeles already lined up Tarik Skubal for Game 1.
Roberts said the shuffle targets Atlanta’s weakness against left-handed pitching — the Braves posted a 91 wRC+ versus lefties this season and just an 84 mark over the final two months.
Yamamoto has never made a major-league start on fewer than five days’ rest, so moving him to Game 3 gives him extra recovery while preserving a cleaner path for later rounds.
That alignment could set Yamamoto up for a potential NLCS Game 2 on full rest, while keeping Skubal or Snell available for tighter turnaround spots if the Dodgers advance.