LOS ANGELES — UPDATE: Dodgers rally against Braves bullpen to win Game 3 of NLCS
After a pair of thrilling walk-offs in Atlanta, the National League Championship Series shifts back to Los Angeles for Game 3 Tuesday.
The Braves find themselves up 2-0 in the series over the Dodgers. But, they have been in this position before.
Atlanta held a 2-0 advantage last year before Los Angeles rallied and pushed the series to Game 7 to advance to the World Series.
Watch LIVE Sports Zone coverage from Dodger Stadium throughout the day on Channel 2 Action News
Channel 2′s Alison Mastrangelo asked Braves manager Brian Snitker about not giving the Dodgers hope this year.
“I think it’s probably a year’s more maturity as a club and experience in what we did. I’ve said before we found out how hard it is to win a game and you can’t take anything for granted,” Snitker said. “But I think with a year’s experience and in the same position, that these guys are better versed for it right now.”
Game 3 Preview
First pitch: 5:08 p.m.
Starting pitchers: Charlie Morton will start for the Braves. Morton has six years of postseason experience including two World Series.
He shared that it has taken him years of ups and downs, even constant failure, to become the confident pitcher he is today.
“I would say that where I am now with my approach mentally and emotionally to a postseason start, there’s no way around it, just to say it’s not, it wasn’t easy,” Morton said. “It wasn’t like I read a book or I got a quote sent to me and things just changed. I would say it was earned.”
The Dodgers will turn to Walker Buehler, who won 16 games during the regular season. The Braves defeated Buehler in Game 1 of last year’s NLCS.
[RELATED: Eddie Rosario’s big night, walk-off single leads to Braves win in Game 2]
Storylines:
The Braves were 46-35 on the road this season, but Dodger Stadium has not been kind to them lately.
The team’s last win there was June 9, 2018. Atlanta has lost 19 of their last 22 games in Los Angeles going back to the 2013 NLDS. The Dodgers were 58-23 at home this year.
“They’re just really good here, really good,” Snitker said. “It’s fun to come out here. Dodger Stadium is an electric place and the weather’s nice.”
[RELATED: Can’t make it to LA? Braves hosting NLCS watch parties at the Battery]
Someone that Braves fans hope gets going Tuesday night is first baseman Freddie Freeman. So far in this series, Freeman has gone 0-for-8 with seven strikeouts. But the Dodgers aren’t doubting him.
“He can get hot at any moment,” manager Dave Roberts said.
[RELATED: Braves fans give players, coaches proper sendoff as they look to bring home NL pennant]
The Braves’ hottest bats throughout the playoffs has been Austin Riley and Joc Pederson. Riley leads the team with a .682 slugging percentage and has four RBIs, including the Game 1 walk-off.
Pederson meanwhile has slammed three home runs, including the tying run in Game 2, for seven RBIs. The outfielder is familiar with success at Dodger Stadium from his seven-year career in LA.
Here’s the remaining schedule for the series:
- TUESDAY, Oct. 19: Braves at Dodgers, 5:00 p.m. (ET)
- WEDNESDAY, Oct 20: Braves at Dodgers, 8:00 p.m. (ET)
- THURSDAY, Oct. 21: Braves at Dodgers, 8:00 p.m. (ET), if needed
- SATURDAY, Oct. 23: Dodgers at Braves, 5:00 p.m. (ET) if needed
- SUNDAY, Oct. 24: Dodgers at Braves 7:30 p.m. (ET) if needed
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