Sign us up for more Braves vs. Dodgers in October

Seeing the Braves compete in this series with the Dodgers, from the walk-off win to the ace performances to the timely snags to Truist Park’s eruptions, hearkened back memories of October 2021.

And perhaps previewed October 2026.

Those who spent any of their past few evenings at The Battery enjoyed two of the National League’s powerhouses dueling. Those who embarked on a walk Thursday morning even enjoyed weather in the 70s and covered skies. Maybe it’s all a tease of what awaits us.

The Braves swept the Dodgers with three narrow, thrilling victories this week. Each game felt playoff quality, from the play to the competitiveness to the atmosphere. At the risk of living in the moment, how could anyone watching this not feel more optimistic about the Braves in the postseason? What a shift for a team that was swept by the Twins just over a week ago.

“The chances of sweeping that team are slim to none,” Braves manager Walt Weiss said.

Night 1: The Braves scored the go-ahead run in the bottom of the eighth, resulting in a 4-3 win. They had jumped out to a three-run advantage on Tyler Glasnow before the Dodgers punched back. A gutsy win, one that adequately portrayed the qualities that have made this a first-place club the entire year.

Night 2: The encore has a case for Win of the Year. The Braves walked off the Dodgers 6-5 with Ha-Seong Kim, the forgotten $20 million man who hadn’t had a knock since June, wearing the cape. Don’t walk-offs against the Dodgers here invite nostalgia?

Night 3: Drake Baldwin pummeled Yoshinobu Yamamoto’s first pitch to the Chop House, as if declaring the Braves wouldn’t be taking their foot off the gas in this finale. It turns out that was all they needed.

Chris Sale appeared to take the evening as a postseason dress rehearsal. He was masterful in possibly his best start for the Braves, pitching a shutout with 11 strikeouts. The Dodgers now have a pitcher to dread facing should they see the Braves again.

“To finish off a sweep of a team like that, coming back home …” Sale said before shifting gears. This isn’t just another good team; the Braves know just how exceptional the Dodgers are. But they also know they’re among the few who can trade blows with them.

Note that the Braves also won the series against the Dodgers in Los Angeles months ago. A postseason matchup isn’t forecast by the regular season. There are just too many variables and the sport changes shape in a series.

But sign us up for more of this. Aren’t we overdue?

When the Braves reemerged as contenders in 2018, the Dodgers were their roadblock. They met in three of four postseasons, the last of which the Braves broke through in the 2021 National League Championship Series.

The rivalry has been quiet, though, since Freddie Freeman joined the Dodgers in 2022. While his first return was loaded with emotions, the teams haven’t met in the playoffs over this time. The Dodgers have qualified for the postseason in each campaign, including winning consecutive championships. The Braves made the playoffs in 2022-24, then suffered a setback last season before getting back to standard this season.