The Los Angeles Dodgers, who won an MLB-leading 100 games during the regular season, find themselves struggling to replicate their usual offensive approach in the National League Division Series (NLDS) against the Atlanta Braves. Despite finishing fourth in runs scored this year without relying heavily on home runs, the Dodgers have so far depended almost exclusively on the long ball, with all seven of their runs in the series coming from five home runs. Their inability to produce timely hitting with runners in scoring position has contributed to an evenly poised 1-1 series as the teams prepare to continue their best-of-five matchup in Atlanta.

In two games at Dodger Stadium, the Dodgers are 0-for-9 with runners in scoring position and have stranded 13 baserunners. They have also struck out three times as often as they have drawn walks and are hitting just .215 against a Braves’ bullpen that has deployed 10 different pitchers. Braves manager Walt Weiss expressed satisfaction after a 3-2 victory Sunday, highlighting the importance of splitting the first two games at home.

Dodgers manager Dave Roberts acknowledged the difficulty in securing runs despite limiting the Braves’ hits. “We didn’t throw out a bunch of hits, but there was still traffic,” Roberts said. “We didn’t need many hits tonight to have a different result, and we just couldn’t get it.” The Dodgers’ postseason offensive struggles stand in contrast to their season-long strength in patient hitting and low strikeout rates.

Dodgers outfielder Mookie Betts attributed the slump to the unpredictability of playoff baseball. “Sometimes it’s just you can’t hit,” he said. Betts noted the team must continue to create scoring opportunities and remain ready to capitalize. Similarly, Braves first baseman Freddie Freeman pointed to the challenge of manufacturing runs without relying on home runs. “That’s our biggest thing right now,” Freeman said after hitting a home run Sunday and collecting three hits in the series. He credited Atlanta’s bullpen strategy, which frequently brings in fresh arms, for disrupting the Dodgers’ rhythm.

Facing constantly changing pitchers has made it difficult for Los Angeles to string together hits. “It’s tough because you’re facing a different arm every single time you’re going up there,” Freeman explained. “Different angles, different velocities, different things. So stringing hits together is very hard.” Dodgers outfielder Teoscar Hernández said the team believes it can adjust as the series moves to Truist Park, adding that Atlanta may have exhausted its bullpen options to some extent.

Defensively, the Dodgers have also faltered compared to their regular-season standard, which included the second-fewest errors and fewest unearned runs allowed. All three Atlanta runs in Sunday’s game came with two outs. In the first inning, a throw by Betts on a ground ball error allowed Ronald Acuña Jr. to score. The Braves extended their lead in the fifth on a misplayed fly ball by Hernández that turned into a triple, followed by a wild pitch. Atlanta’s final run came in the seventh inning after a one-hop wall ball off Michael Harris II’s bat allowed Matt Olson to score from first.

With the series tied, the advantage now swings to the Braves as the Dodgers face a challenging environment at Truist Park, where Atlanta posted the second-best home record in the league. “We knew it was going to be a battle. We knew those guys weren’t going to go down,” Roberts said. “Now it’s a three-game series.” The next game is scheduled for Tuesday, with Atlanta set to start ace Chris Sale.