Los Angeles – The Los Angeles Dodgers are set to roll the mound for Game 3 of the best‑of‑five National League Division Series with veteran right‑hander Yoshinobu Yamamoto, the club’s 2025 postseason standout. Opposing him is the Atlanta Braves’ left‑handed ace Chris Sale, who will take the hill after a full five‑day rest.
Why Game 3 matters
The series is dead‑locked 1‑1 after the Braves edged the Dodgers 3‑2 on Tuesday night at Dodger Stadium. History shows that the winner of a tied Game 3 in a five‑game series goes on to win the series 48 of 67 times, a 71.6% success rate. Both clubs understand the stakes and have turned to their top arms.
Braves’ confidence in Sale
Braves manager Walt Weiss praised Sale’s readiness, saying, “We want full‑strength Chris Sale. I know him at 80 percent is really good, but that’s what it came down to.” The 37‑year‑old left‑hander will pitch on five days of rest, a schedule the Braves have used throughout the season to keep him fresh. In the regular season, Sale posted a 14‑9 record with a 2.16 ERA and averaged a career‑high 96.1 mph on his four‑seam fastball, striking out 200 batters over 162 2/3 innings.
Yamamoto’s postseason debut
Yamamoto, the reigning World Series MVP, makes his 2026 postseason debut in Game 3. He previously faced Sale on Aug. 27, delivering a five‑hit shutout in a 1‑0 loss for the Braves. The Dodgers hope his dominant arm will tilt the series in their favor.
Recent Dodgers pitching notes
Los Angeles starter Blake Snell, who began Game 2, was relieved after 3 2/3 innings by Brock Stewart. Snell allowed one run on three hits, walked five and struck out five. Manager Dave Roberts explained that a lingering left‑groin tightness on Sept. 16 was not a factor in Snell’s short outing, noting the pitcher “was fighting himself with his delivery all game.”
Schedule outlook
Game 4 will return to Atlanta on Wednesday, with a potential Game 5 back in Los Angeles if the series remains tied. The temperature at Dodger Stadium on Tuesday was a sweltering 95 °F when Snell threw the first pitch at 5:03 p.m., underscoring the physical demands on both clubs.
Baseball fans across the country will be watching closely as two of the league’s premier pitchers clash, each representing a franchise with deep postseason traditions. The outcome of Game 3 could set the tone for the remainder of the series and shape the path to the National League Championship Series.
Original reporting: NBC4 Los Angeles — read the source article.
