Originally published by DodgerBlue.com
The Atlanta Braves eliminated the Philadelphia Phillies in the National League Wild Card Series to punch their ticket to the Division Series for a highly anticipated showdown with the Los Angeles Dodgers.
It’s the Braves’ first trip to the NLDS since 2023 and seventh in the last nine seasons. They finished with the third-best record in the NL this year at 94-68 and fell just short of clinching a first-round bye.
The Dodgers have the rest advantage as they won 100 games during the regular season and clinched an automatic spot into the NLDS. They are facing the Braves for the sixth time in MLB postseason history and first since 2021, when Atlanta went on to win the World Series. L.A. is 12-12 all-time in playoff games against the Braves, winning three series thus far.
The Dodgers struggled against the Braves this season as they won just one of six head-to-head meetings. They were outscored, 26-15, in those games and will look to flip the script when the NLDS begins Saturday at Dodger Stadium.
Braves vs. Dodgers 2026 season review
May 8-10; Braves win two of three
The Dodgers and Braves met for the first time during the regular season in a three-game series at Dodger Stadium from May 8-10.
The series opener featured a pitchers’ duel between Emmet Sheehan and Chris Sale, but the Dodgers did just enough offensively to scratch out a 3-1 win. Freddie Freeman hit the game’s only home run against Sale in the bottom of the sixth inning.
The Braves bounced back with a 7-2 win over the Dodgers the next night. Blake Snell struggled in his first start of the season and Spencer Strider limited L.A. to only one hit across six innings.
The series finale between the Dodgers and Braves was essentially a repeat of the previous game. Atlanta won by the same score behind a strong start from Bryce Elder. Justin Wrobleski allowed seven runs but came one out short of a complete game as he took the brunt to save the bullpen.
Aug. 25-27: Braves sweep Dodgers
The Dodgers and Braves faced off again for three more games at Truist Park at the end of August.
The series opener came down to the wire as the Dodgers entered the top of the ninth trailing by one run. Shohei Ohtani began the inning with a leadoff triple against All-Star closer Raisel Iglesias, but was stranded after Freeman, Mookie Betts and Tommy Edman were unable to drive him in.
The middle game brought more frustration for the Dodgers as they overcame an early deficit to even the score in the seventh inning, only to lose in walk-off fashion. Ha-Seong Kim delivered a game-winning single off Tanner Scott with two outs in the bottom of the ninth.
The Braves would then complete a three-game sweep of the Dodgers the following day with a 1-0 victory. They scored their only run on Drake Baldwin’s leadoff blast off Yoshinobu Yamamoto in the bottom of the first. Sale held L.A. to just five hits in a complete-game shutout.
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