Skubal, three homers carry Dodgers past Braves in NLDS Game 1

Home runs by Teoscar Hernández, Kyle Tucker and Max Muncy backed six one-run innings from Tarik Skubal as Los Angeles beat Atlanta 5-3 in the NLDS opener.

Six innings of one-run pitching from Tarik Skubal plus home runs by Teoscar Hernández, Kyle Tucker and Max Muncy carried the Los Angeles Dodgers past the Atlanta Braves 5-3 on Saturday in Game 1 of their National League Division Series at Dodger Stadium.

First-pitch conditions tested both clubs: the thermometer read 100 degrees (38 Celsius), narrowly missing the ballpark record of 103 established at Game 1 of the 2017 World Series. With a feels-like reading of 105 under cloudless skies, umpires kept hydrating between frames and spectators draped promotional towels over their heads.

Skubal, twice a Cy Young Award winner, yielded one run on two hits, fanning seven and issuing two walks. It was the first postseason assignment of his career in his home ballpark; every previous playoff start had come on the road with Detroit, which dealt him to Los Angeles, winner of the last two World Series, shortly before the Aug. 3 deadline. His 63 career postseason strikeouts rank second only to Bob Gibson's 74 among pitchers through their first seven playoff appearances.

Dylan Dodd matched zeros early for Atlanta, throwing three scoreless frames while allowing only a Shohei Ohtani single in the first and a Mookie Betts single in the third. Playing through ongoing arm and knee problems, Ohtani hit second in the order behind Betts, lining out to second base to end the third with a man on and flying out in a similar situation during the fifth.

Los Angeles reached Atlanta's bullpen in the fourth and struck quickly. Victor Mederos, charged with the loss, walked Freddie Freeman and then allowed Hernández's 431-foot blast to left-center field, putting the Dodgers in front 2-0.

Sean Murphy got the Braves on the board in the sixth, beginning the inning with a 421-foot drive on a two-strike pitch that made it 2-1. Los Angeles answered later in the inning, where Tucker launched a two-run homer and, two batters after that, Muncy added a solo drive off AJ Smith-Shawver to stretch the lead to 5-1.

Atlanta made things tense in the ninth. Ronald Acuña Jr. opened the inning with a single off Tanner Scott, and Ozzie Albies followed with a 432-foot homer that cut the deficit to 5-3. Scott recorded the next two outs before Evan Phillips retired Austin Riley on a groundout with a man on base to record the save.

The Braves mustered only four hits in all, and their pitching plans had been reshuffled during the three-game Wild Card Series triumph over Philadelphia, which included ace Chris Sale pitching in relief in the clincher. The series continues Sunday evening at Dodger Stadium under an extreme heat warning that remains in effect, with Atlanta yet to name a starter to oppose Dodgers left-hander Blake Snell, a two-time Cy Young Award winner.

On the Global Sportscast schedule: the Braves visit the Dodgers for Game 2 on Sunday, October 4, at 8:00 PM EDT at Dodger Stadium, with coverage on FS1.