The Los Angeles Dodgers secured a 5-3 victory over the Atlanta Braves in Game 1 of their National League Division Series on Saturday at Dodger Stadium, enduring temperatures that reached 100 degrees. Pitcher Tarik Skubal delivered six strong innings in his first home postseason start since being traded from the Detroit Tigers to the Dodgers in early August. Skubal allowed one run and two hits, recorded seven strikeouts, and walked two, showcasing poise in what Dodgers Manager Dave Roberts described as “fantastic” given the extreme heat.
The game-time temperature was near the stadium’s record of 103 degrees set during the 2017 World Series opener, with a feels-like temperature of 105. Despite the oppressive heat, Skubal, a two-time Cy Young Award winner, maintained control, striking out 63 batters in his first seven postseason appearances—second only in MLB history to Bob Gibson’s 74.
Offensively, Teoscar Hernández and Kyle Tucker both rebounded from season-long slumps by hitting pivotal two-run homers against Atlanta’s bullpen. Max Muncy also contributed a home run for the Dodgers as they capitalized on the Braves’ disrupted pitching rotation. Atlanta had to deploy ace Chris Sale out of the bullpen during their previous series against the Philadelphia Phillies, signaling rotation concerns that continued into this series.
In the American League Division Series, the Tampa Bay Rays edged the New York Yankees 1-0 in St. Petersburg, Florida, behind a dominant pitching performance from Drew Rasmussen. Rasmussen threw eight innings, allowing no hits until the eighth inning and striking out 10 while walking two. The no-hit bid was broken by a two-out double from Austin Wells, but the Rays held firm. Jonathan Aranda’s solo home run off Yankees starter Gerrit Cole was the lone scoring play in the game. The Yankees continued to manage without three-time AL MVP Aaron Judge, who remains sidelined by a calf injury.
Meanwhile, the Chicago White Sox shut out the Cleveland Guardians 3-0 in Cleveland to open their AL Division Series. Munetaka Murakami’s two-run homer and an RBI double from Colson Montgomery provided all the offense Chicago needed. The White Sox pitching staff combined to allow just three hits and struck out 12 batters in a bullpen-led effort, with Bryan Hudson earning the win and Grant Taylor securing the save. Chicago has won nine of their last 11 games, carrying strong momentum into the series after sweeping the Houston Astros in the wild card round.
The Dodgers and Braves will continue their series Sunday evening at Dodger Stadium, with an extreme heat warning still in effect for the area.