The Los Angeles Dodgers defeated the Atlanta Braves 5-3 on Saturday afternoon at Dodger Stadium to open their pursuit of a third consecutive World Series title. The victory was secured by a dominant six-inning performance from starter Tarik Skubal, who struck out seven batters while allowing one run on two hits and two walks.
The game began with strong pitching from both sides. Braves starter Dylan Dodd pitched three scoreless innings, allowing just two hits. The Dodgers took the lead in the fourth inning when left fielder Teoscar Hernandez hit a 431-foot home run off reliever Victor Mederos. The ball left Hernandez's bat at 109.9 mph, giving Los Angeles a 2-0 advantage. Right fielder Kyle Tucker followed with a bloop single to left field, prompting manager Walt Weiss to remove Mederos from the game.
Skubal retired 15 consecutive batters after giving up a leadoff single to designated hitter Drake Baldwin in the first inning. That scoreless streak ended in the top of the sixth when catcher Sean Murphy hit a solo home run off a 99 mph fastball, cutting the Braves' deficit to 2-1. The Braves continued to press, as shortstop Ha-Seong Kim and second baseman Ozzie Albies drew walks around two outs. First baseman Matt Olson came to the plate with two runners on and two outs but grounded out to left field, limiting the damage to one run.
The Dodgers extended their lead in the bottom of the sixth inning. After one out, Hernandez singled up the middle, and Tucker homered over the right field wall off A.J. Smith-Shawver to make it 4-1. Two batters later, third baseman Max Muncy added another solo home run off Smith-Shawver, increasing the lead to 5-1. The Braves, whose bullpen had been depleted during their three-game Wild Card Series win over the Philadelphia Phillies, relied on Smith-Shawver to preserve their remaining arms.
Atlanta mounted a late rally in the ninth inning. Ronald Acuna Jr. drew a walk, and Ozzie Albies hit a two-run home run off reliever Tanner Scott to narrow the gap to 5-3. Scott retired the next two batters before manager Dave Roberts turned to Evan Phillips for the final out. Phillips walked Mauricio Dubon, bringing up Austin Riley with the tying run on base. Riley grounded out to Mookie Betts, ending the game and giving the Dodgers the first win of the series.
The teams will meet again on Sunday for Game 2.