LOS ANGELES — Michael Harris III’s three-hit performance helped the Atlanta Braves even their National League Division Series against the Los Angeles Dodgers with a 3-2 victory on Sunday night.
Harris contributed a two-out triple in the fifth inning and scored the go-ahead run on a wild pitch by Dodgers reliever Kris Bubic. Later, he added an insurance run with an RBI double in the seventh against Edgardo Henriquez. Harris finished the game 3-for-5 with a triple, double, and single, narrowly missing a cycle.
The Braves jumped ahead early in the first inning when Ronald Acuña Jr. singled, stole second base, and scored on Mauricio Dubón’s two-out, bases-loaded infield single. Atlanta stranded the bases loaded in that inning, while Los Angeles left seven runners on base through the first five frames. The Dodgers managed to tie the game at 1-1 in the fourth via a solo home run by Freddie Freeman, who was facing his former team, connecting off Braves reliever Grant Holmes.
Starting pitching was largely a bullpen affair as the Braves opted to give ace left-hander Chris Sale additional rest for a Game 3 start. Instead, right-hander Ray Kerr began the game for Atlanta and combined with relievers Didier Fuentes and Raisel Iglesias to hold the Dodgers to two runs over 6⅓ innings. Kerr delivered 2⅔ scoreless innings, while Fuentes allowed one run over 3⅔ frames. Iglesias recorded the save by retiring pinch-hitter Josue De Paula on a foul out to third base.
On the Dodgers’ side, left-hander Blake Snell struggled throughout his 3⅔ innings, allowing one run on three hits while issuing five walks and striking out five. He threw 90 pitches but couldn’t find a rhythm, needing 27 pitches to record the first three outs.
The Braves reclaimed the lead for good in the fifth when Harris tripled with two outs and scored on Bubic’s wild pitch. They added a third run in the seventh courtesy of Harris’ double. The Dodgers’ Max Muncy hit a late two-strike, two-out homer off Iglesias in the ninth, narrowing the margin to 3-2, but Atlanta held on.
The teams will now shift the series back to Atlanta, where left-hander Chris Sale is scheduled to start Game 3 on Tuesday against Los Angeles right-hander Yoshinobu Yamamoto. The series is tied at one game apiece in this best-of-five matchup.