For the second straight season, the Braves and Dodgers are meeting for the NL title
2 min read
The National League Championship Series got started Saturday, with the Atlanta Braves defeating the Los Angeles Dodgers in Game 1 in walk-off fashion. Game 2 is set for Sunday night at Atlanta’s Truist Park in a pitching matchup that features Max Scherzer vs. Ian Anderson.
The regular-season win-loss records show a lopsided affair here. The Dodgers were one of 23 teams in MLB history to win at least 106 games. The Braves had the worst record among playoff teams at 88-73. In an interesting twist, the Braves actually have home-field advantage for this series, despite having won 18 fewer games in the regular season, due to the Dodgers being a wild card.
Below, you’ll find all you need to know about the NLCS — the dates and times of each game, as well as the probables and the television carriers.
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Game 1 – Sat., Oct. 16 |
8:08 p.m. ET |
RHP Corey Knebel (4-0, 2.45 ERA) vs. LHP Max Fried (14-7, 3.04 ERA) |
TBS |
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Game 2 – Sun., Oct. 17 |
7:38 p.m. ET |
RHP Max Scherzer (15-4, 2.46 ERA) vs. RHP Ian Anderson (9-5, 3.58 ERA) |
TBS |
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Game 3 – Tues., Oct 19 |
5:08 p.m. ET |
RHP Walker Buehler (16-4, 2.47 ERA) vs. Charlie Morton (14-6, 3.34 ERA) |
TBS |
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Game 4 – Weds., Oct. 20 |
8:08 p.m. ET |
LHP Julio Urías (20-3, 2.96 ERA) vs. TBD |
TBS |
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Game 5 – Thurs., Oct. 21* |
8:08 p.m. ET |
TBD vs. TBD |
TBS |
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Game 6 – Sat., Oct. 23* |
5:08 p.m. ET |
TBD vs. TBD |
TBS |
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Game 7 – Sun., Oct. 24* |
7:38 p.m. ET |
TBD vs. TBD |
TBS |
*if necessary
The Braves get here via an odd route. Through July, they had never been over .500, not even for a single day. They also lost their superstar, Ronald Acuña, Jr. to a torn ACL. Something in early August clicked with this group, however, as the Braves won 2/3 of their final 54 games to take the NL East. They then won three straight over the Brewers after losing Game 1 of the NLDS to move to their second straight NLCS.
The Dodgers made history by winning 106 games and not finishing in first place. They barely held off the Cardinals in the wild-card game with a two-run, walk-off shot by Chris Taylor. They then won two straight elimination games against the 107-win Giants in one of the more exciting NLDS we’ll ever see. They are certainly plenty battle tested after those first two rounds in addition to being the World Series champions and having been to the playoffs for nine straight seasons.
This is a rematch of the 2020 NLCS, when the Braves held a three to one series lead before the Dodgers ran off three straight wins to take the NL pennant.
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