Two playoff contests on Sunday produced contrasting finishes: Atlanta held Los Angeles to two runs across nine innings, edging out a 3-2 result that brought the series back to level terms, while Milwaukee ended their game against San Diego with a walk-off.
A combined pitching effort carried Atlanta to a road win at Dodger Stadium, drawing the National League division series level at one game each, with the best-of-five matchup shifting to Atlanta for the third contest on Tuesday. Starter Blake Snell delivered an uneven outing, and the Dodgers' lineup — holders of back-to-back World Series titles — managed no hits across eight at-bats with runners in position to score.
Late innings in that contest belonged to Braves relievers Robert Suarez and Didier Fuentes, whose combined pitching held the Dodgers to a series deficit rather than the 2-0 advantage they had been positioned to claim following their game one victory.
Baldwin, the Braves catcher, spoke warmly about Fuentes's outing, noting that the 21-year-old had retired every batter he faced until a single out stood between him and four complete perfect innings, and added that Fuentes had brought that same level of composure throughout the season.
The Dodgers' two runs, each coming from a home run — one off the bat of Freddie Freeman and another from Max Muncy — proved insufficient against Atlanta, whose scoring began with a Mauricio Dubon single, continued when a wild pitch from reliever Kris Bubic allowed a second run to cross, and concluded with a Michael Harris double that pushed the Braves' total to three.
A two-run single off the bat of Jackson Chourio in the final frame handed Milwaukee a 4-3 decision against San Diego, pushing the Brewers out to a 2-0 advantage in the series. Trailing by two runs for the second straight outing, Milwaukee found a way through again — this time on a two-out, bases-loaded single from Chourio that sent a Mason Miller fastball back up the middle to plate the go-ahead runs.
The result handed San Diego a third consecutive loss, pushing the Padres to the edge of elimination with three games left in the best-of-five National League division series as the series shifts to San Diego for Tuesday's third contest. Chourio, who had also delivered a two-run home run in game one, told a reporter afterward that he had been looking for a pitch he felt he could handle and that Miller had thrown him one.
Four errors in the field cropped up across the game — an uncommon sight for a team whose 103 wins in the regular season put it at the top of the MLB table. A run plated in the opening frame put San Diego ahead, and a pair of Milwaukee miscues allowed the visitors to stretch that margin to two by the fifth.
Yelich put Milwaukee on the board in the fifth inning with a two-bagger off Michael King, then came around to score when Frelick laced a single into play. San Diego extended their advantage to two runs heading into the seventh, only for Milwaukee to close the gap to 3-2 before the inning ended — a fielding miscue by second baseman Jake Cronenworth letting a runner cross the plate.
Chourio told reporters afterward that the team embraces pressure-filled situations and has no intention of backing away from a challenge, adding that they would pursue every opportunity that presented itself.
