Saturday's National League Division Series gets underway with the Dodgers hosting the Braves, a matchup that places Freddie Freeman on the field against the organisation where he built his career. Slotted into the middle of the Dodgers' lineup for the Atlanta matchup, Freeman has built a record of postseason production across back-to-back World Series championships.
His contribution to Atlanta's 2021 World Series championship run stood out as one of the defining threads of that title-winning campaign. His path to the Dodgers opened up as a free agent following Atlanta's decision to bring Matt Olson in at first base.
Freddie Freeman carries three championship rings earned across five seasons, and the Dodgers now stand on the edge of becoming the first National League franchise to claim titles in three straight years. Throughout American League history, just the Yankees and the Athletics in Oakland have managed to accomplish the feat.
New York last achieved three consecutive titles across the 1998, 1999, and 2000 seasons — a run the Yankees have held as the benchmark ever since — while Dodgers third baseman Max Muncy noted that his club had long held the position of not wanting to pile additional pressure on themselves. Muncy said that talking up the possibility of three titles in a row adds a layer of expectation that does little to help anyone involved.
Ohtani, who sat out the final stretch of the regular season while recovering from a biceps injury, is set to take his place near the top of the Los Angeles lineup as the team opens its playoff run. Skubal, a left-handed pitcher, drew the Game 1 starting assignment ahead of right-hander Yamamoto in the Dodgers' rotation.
Acquired from Detroit in a trade timed to the deadline, Skubal took the mound ten times for his new team and posted a 5-2 record alongside a 2.61 ERA. Two career appearances against Atlanta have left Skubal with a 4.91 ERA and no wins against one loss, a stretch that included a seven-inning, two-run outing in April that ended without a decision.
Atlanta's postseason run got underway with a wild-card victory over the Philadelphia Phillies. Harris's three-run blast and a dominant outing on the mound guided Atlanta to a Thursday night win in Game 3, wrapping up the series. Six pitchers combined to hold Philadelphia's offense scoreless, with Chris Sale — working as the staff's lead arm — recording the last four outs to seal the result.
Heading into the postseason matchup with the Dodgers, Atlanta carried a 5-1 record against them from the regular season, a stretch that included three straight home victories in late August — though manager Walt Weiss noted that the Los Angeles club remained a formidable opponent and that the regular-season ledger would carry limited weight once the playoffs began. Weiss said that once playoff competition opens, the slate wipes clean for every franchise involved.
Weiss had yet to announce his Game 1 starting pitcher, though a left-handed opener remained under consideration as a way to match up against the left-handed hitters slotted near the top of the order, including Ohtani and Freeman. A team representative noted that the Dodgers were in better physical condition than when the two clubs last met.
Both Bryce Elder, nursing a knee problem, and left-handed pitcher Martin Perez, dealing with a back issue, are expected to remain sidelined for the Braves. Posting 41 home runs across the regular season — a figure that topped the Atlanta roster — Olson established himself as one of the club's central offensive contributors alongside Ronald Acuna Jr., then extended that output with a home run during the wild-card round.
During the regular season, Harris connected for 26 home runs while Acuna rounded out his offensive contribution with 20 long balls and 21 stolen bases. Drake Baldwin, whose 25 home runs and All-Star selection in 2025 earned him NL Rookie of the Year recognition, told reporters that the Braves' approach centres on trusting their own game and believing they can match up with — and beat — any opponent.
