The Dodgers begin their quest for a third straight World Series title by holding on to their Game 1 victory against the Braves.

In October, elite starting pitchers win playoff games.

For the Atlanta Braves, it was a bullpen game, while the Los Angeles Dodgers sent two-time Cy Young winner Tarik Skubal to the American League. Saturday afternoon at Dodger Stadium, the elite starting pitcher led the way. Skubal was dominant, striking out seven batters while allowing one run on two hits and two walks in six innings of work in the Dodgers’ 5-3 victory in Game 1 of the NLDS.

The Dodgers began their quest for a third straight World Series title with a decisive victory over the Braves, but the game did not start smoothly.

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Los Angeles Dodgers starting pitcher Tarik Skubal works against an Atlanta Braves batter during the first inning of Game 1 of a National League Division Series baseball game, Saturday, Oct. 3, 2026, in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill)

Dylan Dodd was the Braves’ starter, and he was fantastic through three scoreless innings, allowing just two hits. In the fourth inning, manager Walt Weiss turned to Victor Mederos and things quickly went south.

Mederos asked catcher Will Smith to fly out, but then walked on star first baseman Freddie Freeman. With a runner on first and one out, Mederos threw a 92.3 mph cutter right to the middle of the plate, and left fielder Teoscar Hernández didn’t miss.

The ball came off Hernández’s bat at 109.9 mph as he demolished it 431 feet into the left field stands, giving the Dodgers a 2–0 lead. The outfielder admired his shot, remaining in the batter’s box for a few moments before turning and firing his bat toward the Dodgers’ dugout.

Dodgers right fielder Kyle Tucker followed Hernández’s blast with a bloop single to left field, and Weiss had seen enough, removing Mederos from the game.

Weiss turned to AJ Smith-Shawver to try to settle things, which he did by retiring the next two batters.

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Teoscar Hernández of the Los Angeles Dodgers watches his two-run home run in the fourth inning of Game 1 of a National League Division Series baseball game against the Atlanta Braves, Saturday, Oct. 3, 2026, in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Jae C. Hong)

Skubal, for his part, retired 15 consecutive batters after allowing a leadoff single to All-Star designated hitter Drake Baldwin.

However, the scoreless streak ended when catcher Sean Murphy grabbed Skubal’s 1-2, 99 mph fastball and sent it 421 feet over the left-center wall for a solo home run, cutting the lead to 2-1 in the top of the sixth inning.

After Murphy’s blast, the Braves lineup didn’t give up, as shortstop Ha-Seong Kim and second baseman Ozzie Albies sandwiched two outs, bringing first baseman Matt Olson to the plate with two runners on and two outs. Yet Skubal avoided further damage by inducing a weak ball to left field from the All-Star first baseman, leaving the score at 2-1.

In the bottom of the sixth inning, the Dodgers immediately picked up Skubal. With one out, Hernández singled up the middle and Tucker followed up by depositing Smith-Shawver’s 97 mph fastball 408 feet over the right field wall to give the Dodgers a 4-1 lead.

Teoscar Hernández of the Los Angeles Dodgers celebrates after hitting a two-run home run in the fourth inning of Game 1 of a National League Division Series against the Atlanta Braves, Saturday, Oct. 3, 2026, in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill)

Two batters after Tucker’s blast, third baseman Max Muncy joined the home run club with a solo shot against Smith-Shawver to make it 5-1.

With their bullpen depleted after a three-game Wild Card Series victory over the Philadelphia Phillies, the Braves were forced to stick with Smith-Shawver to preserve their remaining arms.

In the top of the ninth inning, Ronald Acuña Jr. walked and second baseman Ozzie Albies hit a two-run homer off Tanner Scott to make it a 5-3 game. However, Scott put the next two batters away. Manager Dave Roberts turned to Evan Phillips to record the final takedown of the match.

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Phillips first walked Mauricio Dubón, sending in Austin Riley for the tying run, but got the Braves third baseman to ground out to Betts to close out the game.

The Dodgers will look to build on their Game 1 win when they face the Braves on Sunday in Game 2.