Braves schedule: NLDS Game 1 time, TV and pitching FAQ
The Braves schedule for NLDS Game 1 puts Atlanta at Dodger Stadium on Saturday at 4 p.m. ET (1 p.m. PT) on FOX, FOX Deportes and FOX One. After finishing the Phillies in the wild-card round, the Braves open a best-of-five against the back-to-back champion Dodgers with their Game 1 starter still TBD.
Key Takeaways
- Game 1 is Saturday, Oct. 3, at 4 p.m. ET at Dodger Stadium on FOX, FOX Deportes and FOX One.
- Atlanta advanced with a 6-2 wild-card clincher over Philadelphia, its first postseason series win in five years.
- Chris Sale is not available before Game 2; Atlanta’s Game 1 starter remains TBD amid rotation injuries.
- Los Angeles is expected to lean on Yoshinobu Yamamoto in Game 1 as the Dodgers chase a three-peat.
- The best-of-five continues Sunday in L.A., then shifts to Atlanta for Games 3 and 4 if needed.
When does the Braves schedule put Game 1—and the rest of the NLDS—on?
According to MLB.com, first pitch Saturday is 4 p.m. ET / 1 p.m. PT at Dodger Stadium, airing on FOX, FOX Deportes and FOX One.
The fuller Braves schedule for the series, as listed by Battery Power and the Los Angeles Times, runs Game 2 on Sunday at 8 p.m. ET in Los Angeles, Game 3 on Tuesday at 6 p.m. ET in Atlanta, a potential Game 4 on Wednesday at 6 p.m. ET in Atlanta, and a potential Game 5 on Friday at 8 p.m. ET back in L.A.
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Who is pitching Game 1 for the Braves and Dodgers?
Injuries have thinned Atlanta’s rotation. MLB.com reports Chris Sale will not be available before Game 2 on Sunday, Tyler Mahle is not lined up before Game 3 on Tuesday, and Martín Pérez—placed on the injured list with low back inflammation on Sept. 1—could not be activated before Game 3.
Grant Holmes threw just two innings in Thursday’s win over the Phillies and may handle the first few innings. J.R. Ritchie is another option, and a lefty reliever could open ahead of either arm.
For Los Angeles, MLB.com lists the Dodgers’ Game 1 starter as TBD but likely right-hander Yoshinobu Yamamoto, whose .182 opponents’ batting average ranked third among qualified pitchers.
How are the Dodgers preparing—and what might the lineups look like?
The Dodgers practiced Thursday while the Braves’ clincher played on the scoreboard, then learned their opponent after Atlanta’s 6-2 victory. Kiké Hernández said Los Angeles is “the team to beat,” while Max Muncy stressed focusing on readiness rather than a historic three-peat chase.
MLB.com’s projected Braves order: Drake Baldwin, Ronald Acuña Jr., Matt Olson, Michael Harris II, Mauricio Dubón, Ozzie Albies, Austin Riley, Mike Yastrzemski and Dominic Smith. The Dodgers’ projected nine: Shohei Ohtani, Mookie Betts, Freddie Freeman, Will Smith, Kyle Tucker, Teoscar Hernández, Max Muncy, Andy Pages and Tommy Edman.
Baldwin led off with a homer against Yamamoto on Aug. 27 in Atlanta’s 1-0 win. After facing lefties Jesús Luzardo and Cristopher Sánchez in the wild-card round, lefty bats such as Harris, Olson and Baldwin would welcome a right-handed look in Game 1.