The Atlanta Braves beat the Los Angeles Dodgers 3-2 at Dodger Stadium on Sunday night, October 4, 2026, to tie their National League Division Series at one game each. Michael Harris II had three hits and drove the decisive runs, and the best-of-five NLDS now moves to Atlanta for Game 3 on Tuesday.
- Result: Braves 3, Dodgers 2 in NLDS Game 2 at Dodger Stadium, Los Angeles.
- Series: Tied 1-1 after the Dodgers won Game 1 5-3 on Saturday.
- Star: Michael Harris II singled, tripled and doubled, finishing a home run short of the cycle.
- Next: Game 3 is Tuesday, October 6, at 6 p.m. ET at Truist Park in Atlanta.
- Probable starters: Chris Sale for Atlanta, Yoshinobu Yamamoto for Los Angeles.
How the Braves won NLDS Game 2
Atlanta scored first. In the first inning, with the bases loaded and two outs, Mauricio Dubon hit an infield single that brought home Ronald Acuna Jr. Mookie Betts made a diving stop at shortstop, but his throw to first was wide.
Freddie Freeman, the former Braves first baseman, tied the game 1-1 in the fourth with a two-strike solo home run off Grant Holmes. The lead did not last long. In the fifth, Harris lined a two-out triple into the left-field corner and scored the go-ahead run when Dodgers reliever Kris Bubic threw a wild pitch.
Harris added insurance in the seventh with an RBI double to right off Edgardo Henriquez that scored Matt Olson. Max Muncy cut the lead to one with a two-out, two-strike home run off Didier Fuentes in the ninth, but Raisel Iglesias closed the game for the save.
Atlanta’s bullpen plan worked
The Braves did not use a traditional starter. Ray Kerr opened the game and recorded eight outs without allowing a run, which let Atlanta hold Chris Sale back for Game 3 on extra rest. Holmes, Dylan Lee, Robert Suarez, Fuentes and Iglesias followed. Suarez struck out Teoscar Hernandez in a key spot in the fifth.
The approach held a strong Dodgers lineup to two runs on six hits, according to CBS Sports. Shohei Ohtani went 1-for-4 with two strikeouts.
“Getting the split in this place against these guys, yeah, it’s awesome,” Braves manager Walt Weiss said after the game, according to the Associated Press.
Blake Snell’s short night for the Dodgers
Dodgers starter Blake Snell struggled with his control. He lasted 3 2/3 innings and allowed one run on three hits, with five walks and five strikeouts, on 90 pitches (47 strikes). The Associated Press reported it was his shortest postseason start since 2022, when he pitched for the San Diego Padres.
The walks forced Los Angeles into its bullpen early. The Dodgers used six relievers, while the Braves used five, as both managers chased matchups in a low-scoring game.
Game 1 recap: Dodgers 5, Braves 3
Game 2 was a sharp contrast to Saturday’s opener, when the two teams combined for five home runs. In Game 1 on October 3, the game was scoreless through five innings before Sean Murphy homered for Atlanta in the sixth. The Dodgers answered in the same inning with a two-run homer from Teoscar Hernandez and a solo shot from Max Muncy, and Kyle Tucker also hit a two-run homer. Ozzie Albies hit a two-run homer in the ninth for Atlanta, but the Dodgers held on.
Dodgers left-hander Tarik Skubal pitched six innings and allowed one run on two hits in Game 1, according to the Atlanta Journal-Constitution.
What happens next in the Braves vs Dodgers series
The NLDS shifts to Truist Park in Atlanta for Game 3 on Tuesday at 6 p.m. ET, with the broadcast on FOX and FS1. Chris Sale is expected to start for the Braves against Yoshinobu Yamamoto for the Dodgers. The series is best of five, so the winner of Game 3 will need one more win to reach the National League Championship Series.
Elsewhere in the National League, the Milwaukee Brewers lead the San Diego Padres 2-0 after a 4-3 comeback win on Sunday. Jackson Chourio hit a two-run, bases-loaded walk-off single in the ninth inning against Padres closer Mason Miller, CBS Sports reported.
