Braves Bullpen Holds Off Dodgers to Even NLDS at 1-1
Six Atlanta Braves pitchers held off the Dodgers 3-2 in NLDS Game 2, evening the series before it shifts to Atlanta.
World Baseball News Editorial Team , 2 min read 
The Atlanta Braves used six pitchers to beat the Los Angeles Dodgers 3-2 at Dodger Stadium on Sunday, October 4, evening the National League Division Series at one game apiece and sending the matchup to Atlanta with Chris Sale rested for Game 3.
Manager Walt Weiss chose not to start Sale and instead asked his bullpen to cover a third consecutive postseason game. Ray Kerr opened with 2 2/3 scoreless innings, and 21-year-old Didier Fuentes recorded 11 outs before Max Muncy’s two-out homer in the ninth forced Raisel Iglesias to finish the job.
Kerr and Fuentes make the gamble work
Kerr allowed two hits, struck out four and retired Shohei Ohtani twice. His 42-pitch outing came only three days after he threw 47 pitches and 3 1/3 scoreless innings in Atlanta’s Wild Card Series clincher against Philadelphia.
Fuentes took over in the sixth and carried the lead into the ninth. His four-seam fastball averaged 99.4 mph, more than two miles per hour above his regular-season average. He allowed one run in 3 2/3 innings before Iglesias recorded the final out for his second save of the postseason.
Kerr, Grant Holmes, Dylan Lee, Robert Suarez, Fuentes and Iglesias combined to hold Los Angeles to six hits. The Dodgers went 0-for-8 with runners in scoring position despite solo home runs from former Brave Freddie Freeman and Muncy.
Harris supplies the decisive runs
Michael Harris II led Atlanta’s offense with three hits. The center fielder tripled with two outs in the fifth and scored on a wild pitch to put the Braves ahead 2-1, then doubled home Matt Olson in the seventh for the run that ultimately decided the game.
Harris finished 3-for-5 with a single, double and triple. Atlanta’s first run came in the opening inning when Ronald Acuña Jr. singled, stole second and scored on Mauricio Dubón’s two-out infield hit.
The best-of-five NLDS now moves to Truist Park for Game 3 on Tuesday, October 6. Sale is scheduled to face Yoshinobu Yamamoto, while Atlanta also has Tyler Mahle positioned to start Game 4. After stealing a road split without using its ace, the Braves return home needing two wins to reach the National League Championship Series.
