Braves Drop NLDS Opener to Dodgers; Game 2 Starter Undecided

Atlanta lost 5-3 at Dodger Stadium, and manager Walt Weiss said no decision had been made on a Game 2 starter, with Chris Sale's status in question.

The Atlanta Braves began the 2026 National League Division Series by falling 5-3 to the Los Angeles Dodgers on Saturday night at Dodger Stadium. The result leaves the Braves down 1-0 in the best-of-five matchup, which continues in Los Angeles before heading to the Atlanta area.

Tarik Skubal silenced Atlanta's hitters for the bulk of his outing. The Braves also paid for mistakes on the mound, where AJ Smith-Shawver served up two home runs that put Los Angeles firmly in charge. The gap grew to four runs at one stage before Atlanta's late push.

Home runs accounted for every Atlanta run. Sean Murphy connected against Skubal, and Ozzie Albies added a ninth-inning home run that made the final margin two. Apart from those two hits, the Braves managed little against the Dodgers starter.

Weiss praised Skubal afterward, saying he performed at his peak and presented a difficult puzzle for Atlanta's hitters. He added that the Braves expected a difficult evening and received exactly that.

A large share of Weiss's decision-making Saturday involved protecting his relievers. He said a comeback was already unlikely because Atlanta's bullpen carried a major load on Thursday. Fuentes was never going to enter with the Braves trailing, since that appearance would have been his fourth in five days and would have endangered his status for Sunday, a game Atlanta could be leading. Suarez was unavailable entirely after an elbow injury cost him three months.

Asked whether Atlanta has enough arms to survive the series, Weiss brushed aside any doubt. He pointed to Chris Sale and Tyler Mahle as pitchers still available, noted the bullpen will be far fresher on Sunday, and made clear he views the staff's depth as more than sufficient.

Chris Sale's potential availability has hovered over the Los Angeles games. At 37, with a substantial amount of pitching already on his arm this postseason, it is uncertain how sharp he could be, and the report described a potential Game 2 start as one of the toughest challenges of his career.

Weiss offered no answer on his Game 2 starter, saying the opener had only just finished and that talks were pending. An announcement could wait until Sunday afternoon, and the report suggested Sale might once again declare himself ready, as he did by going to Weiss before a Game 3 earlier this postseason.

The stakes for Sunday are significant. A win would let Atlanta head home with the home-field edge for the remainder of the series, while another quiet night at the plate would send the club back to Cobb County down 2-0. Los Angeles also presents matchup problems throughout its pitching staff, and the report said the Braves need more sustained production from their lineup to stay in the round.