Braves Use Bullpen Game to Defeat Dodgers 3-2 and Even NLDS

Michael Harris II tripled and scored the go-ahead run on a wild pitch as the Atlanta Braves beat the Los Angeles Dodgers 3-2 on Sunday night.

The Atlanta Braves defeated the Los Angeles Dodgers 3-2 on Sunday night to even the National League Division Series at one game apiece. Michael Harris II provided the decisive offense, hitting a triple to deep left field in the fifth inning and scoring the go-ahead run on a wild pitch by reliever Kris Bubic. Harris later added a double in the seventh inning to extend the lead. The Dodgers were held hitless in eight at-bats with runners in scoring position, with their only runs coming on solo home runs by Freddie Freeman in the fourth and Max Muncy in the ninth.

Atlanta utilized a bullpen game after opting to save ace Chris Sale for Game 3. Opener Ray Kerr retired six of the first seven batters he faced and completed 2.2 innings without allowing a run. Grant Holmes, Dylan Lee, and Robert Suarez followed before 20-year-old Didier Fuentes entered for the final 12 outs. Fuentes retired nine consecutive batters between the sixth and eighth innings, striking out three. After Muncy hit a two-out, 397-foot home run off Fuentes in the ninth, Raisel Iglesias entered to induce a foul popup from Josue De Paula for the final out.

Dodgers starter Blake Snell was pulled with two outs in the fourth inning after throwing 90 pitches. The Braves' pitching staff limited Los Angeles to two runs despite missing injured or unavailable relievers Dylan Dodd, AJ Smith-Shawver, and Brent Suter. The series now shifts to Atlanta, where Chris Sale is scheduled to start Game 3 against Yoshinobu Yamamoto.