Reports: Dodgers hold off Braves 5-3 in NLDS opener

THE REPORT

Taylor Brooks

The Dodgers beat Atlanta five to three in the National League Division Series opener, according to two reports. Hernández, Tucker and Muncy homered for Los Angeles. Atlanta still brought the potential tying run to the plate in the ninth. [1][2][3][4][5]

Pip Mercer

That's a finish worth separating from the home-run highlights. Hernández opened the scoring with a two-run homer in the fourth. Tucker and Muncy also homered, but the extra runs didn't remove Atlanta's chance at the end. [1][2][3]

Nova Reed

And before that finish, Skubal gave Los Angeles six innings of one-run pitching. Think of the game in two parts: keeping Atlanta down early, then getting through its final push. Those are different jobs. [1][2][3]

Taylor Brooks

Nova, what does that six-inning number tell someone who only catches the score? How much did Skubal allow Atlanta to work with? [1]

Nova Reed

He allowed two hits and two walks, and struck out seven. Atlanta scored once during those six innings. That's the reported line: few hits, a pair of walks, and one run across. [1]

Pip Mercer

The adjectives can take the inning off. One run over six innings tells us why his outing mattered. It also keeps us from confusing a strong start with a comfortable finish. [1][2][3]

Taylor Brooks

But here's the case for calling it comfortable: three Dodgers hitters homered, and Skubal allowed one run. What specifically changes that picture? [1][2][3][4][5]

Pip Mercer

Acuña walked in the top of the ninth. Then Albies hit a two-run homer off Tanner Scott, making it five to three. Atlanta had cut the gap to two runs before the final out. [1][2]

Nova Reed

Then Phillips walked Dubón, bringing Riley up as the potential tying run. In plain terms, a homer could have tied it. That was a chance Atlanta had, not an outcome it achieved. [1]

Taylor Brooks

So the score alone misses the situation. Los Angeles led by two, with the batter representing a possible tie. Pip, how did that last chance end? [1][2]

Pip Mercer

Riley grounded out to Betts, and that ended the game. Phillips got the final out after the walk to Dubón. The threat reached the plate; the tying runs never crossed. [1]

Nova Reed

Which gives both teams their proper place in the finish. Atlanta made the last plate appearance matter. Los Angeles got the out it needed. Calling it a rally doesn't mean calling it a comeback win. [1][2]

Taylor Brooks

One timing question before we leave it. We've named Tucker and Muncy, but haven't placed their homers in an inning. Why leave that detail open? [1]

Nova Reed

The reports differ on those innings, and we don't have MLB's official play-by-play to settle it. Both name Tucker and Muncy as home-run hitters. Pinning down when they homered needs that scoring record. [1]

Pip Mercer

There's one other limit: two matching reports aren't necessarily two separate checks. We don't know whether they relied on the same reporting. That's why we're keeping this as a reported result. [1][2]

Taylor Brooks

For fans following the series, this puts the opener on Los Angeles's side, with Atlanta threatening right through the last batter. The remaining scoring question is when Tucker and Muncy homered. MLB's official record would settle that. [1][2][3][4]