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Dodgers dispatch Braves, advance to third straight NLCS
Confirmed
In Short: The Los Angeles Dodgers advanced to the National League Championship Series after defeating the Atlanta Braves 4-1 in Game 4 of their NLDS.
The Los Angeles Dodgers clinched their third consecutive National League Championship Series (NLCS) berth by defeating the Atlanta Braves 4-1 in Game 4 of their NLDS series on Wednesday night.
Dodgers right-hander Tyler Glasnow, making his first start since September 24, allowed only one hit but walked five batters in 4⅔ innings.
Despite the walks, Glasnow's performance was crucial as the Braves failed to capitalize on any of the 18 walks they received throughout the series.
In the seventh inning, Andy Pages drove in two runs with a bases-loaded single, giving Los Angeles the lead and setting the stage for the victory.
Max Muncy's solo home run off Raisel Iglesias in the ninth inning further padded the Dodgers' lead, extending his franchise record to 19 postseason home runs.
The Dodgers' win marked their second straight victory in Atlanta, securing a 3-1 series win and advancing them to the NLCS.
Dodgers third baseman Max Muncy reflected on the team's consistent success, saying, "It’s hard to say it ever feels routine, but it is the expectation here."
Manager Dave Roberts emphasized the team's ongoing pursuit of excellence, stating, "The guys that haven’t been here kind of see that and they expect a little bit more. That happens when you clinch the division."
What this adds
The Braves' loss marked their first series defeat since winning the 2021 World Series.
The Dodgers' run to the NLCS ties the Atlanta Braves' postseason run from 1991 through 2005, during which the Braves made five World Series appearances but won only once in 1995.
Background
The Atlanta Braves secured their place in the National League Division Series (NLDS) with a decisive 6-2 win over the Philadelphia Phillies in Game 3 of the Wild Card Series on Thursday night.
The Braves will face the reigning champion Los Angeles Dodgers in the NLDS.
What's confirmed
- "It’s hard to say it ever feels routine, but it is the expectation here," third baseman Max Muncy said.
- "Any team, any organization can win in a given year where things line up, but to do it every single year when you’re expected to do this says something about the entire organization." The Dodgers (91-59) currently are the second seed in the NL.
- The two-time defending World Series champions, who joined Milwaukee and Tampa Bay as teams who have secured playoff spots, cut their magic number to three for a fifth straight NL West title and 13th in 14 seasons.
- Los Angeles tied the Atlanta Braves ' postseason run from 1991 through 2005.
- Dave Roberts, who is in his 11th season as manager, said his message during the toast was that the Dodgers have accomplished a lot to this point but haven't come close to playing their best baseball yet.
- Tarik Skubal — who pitched seven shutout innings and allowed only three hits — said the way the Dodgers handled clinching a postseason spot was definitely different compared to clinching situations he encountered the past two seasons with Detroit.
- The Los Angeles Dodgers marked their record-tying 14th consecutive trip to MLB's postseason with a toast of bubbly after Monday night's 4-1 victory over the Cincinnati Reds.
- "I always laugh whenever we clinch a postseason spot, we just do a nice little toast. The guys that haven’t been here, they kind of see that and they expect a little bit more. That happens when you clinch the division."
- "Thankfully we’re doing a little bit better than that," Muncy said of the Dodgers three titles and five trips to the Fall Classic during their run.
- "Given where our guys are health wise, to get that week would be huge. We’ve still got to play well to finish out the season to get to that point," Roberts said before Monday's game.
- "I think it just speaks to the people in this room and what they expect out of this team. That was cool. A little toast and move on. Forget it happened. We’ve got more to accomplish this season," he said.
- The Braves made five World Series trips during that span, but won only in 1995.
What's still developing
- Dodgers dispatch Braves, advance to third straight NLCS | ESPN La Crosse 105.5 You are using an outdated browser.
- The missed opportunity left the Braves with 18 walks in the series, and none scored.
- The Dodgers won back-to-back games in Atlanta to take the best-of-five matchup 3-1 and advance to the National League Championship Series as they seek to become the first NL team to win three straight World Series.
- Mahle, a native of Newport Beach, California, who grew up a Dodgers fan, allowed two runs -- one earned -- in 6⅓ innings.
- Chris Sale is the first MLB pitcher with 9+ strikeouts in a start & then 3+ strikeouts in a relief appearance within the next 2 days (reg or post) since Randy Johnson did it in the 1995 ALDS against the Yankees. pic.twitter.com/Ryv7Zj0QlS The series win is the Braves' first since their 2021 World Series title.
- It's also the franchise's first victory in a winner-take-all playoff game since Game 7 of the 1996 NLCS, with Atlanta losing its last six sudden-death contests prior to Thursday.
- Freeman, a stalwart in Atlanta for the first 11 seasons of his career, led the Braves past L.A. five years ago before joining his hometown Dodgers in free agency the following offseason.
- Atlanta beat the Philadelphia Phillies 6-2 in Game 3 of the NL wild-card series at Truist Park to claim the series and secure a date with the two-time defending champion Los Angeles Dodgers in the next round.
- However, the Braves ensured there would be no more Phillies magic early on.
- The Guardians, Braves, Yankees and Padres needed wins to extend their seasons, while the White Sox, Dodgers, Rays and Brewers entered one victory away from reaching the LCS round.
- 7 ALDS Game 3: Guardians 9, White Sox 3 (Chicago leads 2-1) NLDS Game 4: Dodgers 4, Braves 1 (Los Angeles wins 3-1) ALDS Game 3: Rays @ Yankees, 8 p.m., TBS/HBO Max (Tampa Bay leads 2-0) NLDS Game 4: Brewers @ Padres, 10 p.m.
- The Dodgers are once again among the best teams in the big leagues, and they'll have several challengers in October, including the Milwaukee Brewers and Tampa Bay Rays.