Everything to know about the Braves-Dodgers NL Division Series
The Braves and Dodgers are in the National League Division Series, best-of-five matchup that begins Saturday afternoon in Los Angeles.
It’s a star-studded series, with many of the big names on the Dodgers’ side, but the Braves are coming off an exhilarating series win over the Phillies to reach the NLDS. The Dodgers, who’ve won the last two World Series, are again a significant favorite, but the Braves are looking to pull off another upset, as they’ve done in their postseason history against Los Angeles.
Braves at Dodgers
(all times are Eastern Time)
Game 1: Saturday at Dodger Stadium, 4 p.m.
Game 2: Sunday at Dodger Stadium, 8 p.m.
Game 3: Tuesday at Truist Park, 6 p.m.
Game 4*: Wednesday at Truist Park, 6 p.m.
Game 5*: Friday, Oct. 9 at Dodger Stadium, 8 p.m.
* if necessary
How to watch
The first two in the series will be televised on Fox. The rest will be on FS1 and Fox One (subject to change).
Truist Park will host watch parties for the road games at Dodger Stadium (Games 1 and 2 — and Game 5, if necessary).
How they got here
The Dodgers finished 100-62 in the regular season and won the NL West Division. That earned the No. 2 seed in the NL playoffs and a first-round bye.
The Braves captured the NL East with a 94-68 record, which was six games ahead of the Philadelphia Phillies. The Braves got the No. 3 seed and defeated the Phillies in three games in the NL Wild Card Series.
Previous postseason meetings
This is the sixth time the Braves and Dodgers have met in the postseason, with the Dodgers holding a 3-2 advantage in series, but they’ve split the 12 games overall.
The most recent matchup was the 2021 National League Championship Series, where the Braves won in six games, on their way to their fourth World Series title. That marked a significant upset, as that Dodgers squad had won 106 games in the regular season and Atlanta had won just 90.
2021 NLCS: Braves won, 4-2 (also won World Series)
2020 NLCS: Dodgers won, 4-3
2018 NLDS: Dodgers won, 3-1
2013 NLDS: Dodgers won, 3-1
1996 NLDS: Braves won, 3-0 (Braves lost to Yankees in World Series)
The ballparks
Truist Park, the Braves’ home, had attendance of 2,800,446 this season, which ranked sixth of 15 NL teams and 10th overall in the majors. The average game attendance was 34,573.
Dodger Stadium is one of the iconic ballparks in the major leagues. The attendance this season was 4,034,219, which led MLB. The average game attendance was 49,805.
Managers
Walt Weiss, 62, finished his first regular season as the Braves manager after succeeding Brian Snitker. He previously managed four seasons with the Colorado Rockies, from 2013-16, where he compiled a record of 283-365 and never made the postseason.
Dave Roberts, 54, is in his 11th season in Los Angeles, where he’s built a dynasty, looking to win his third straight World Series. In his last six seasons, the Dodgers have averaged 101 wins, including 111 in 2022. He’s had a winning record in each season, with only one below 90 wins — the 2020 season shortened by the pandemic. That year, the Dodgers were 43-17, and that 71.7 win percentage is the highest of his tenure, and they won the World Series.