Los Angeles Dodgers pitcher Yoshinobu Yamamoto delivered a dominant performance Tuesday night, recording 10 strikeouts over seven innings as the Dodgers beat the Atlanta Braves 3-1 in Game 3 of the National League Division Series. The win puts the Dodgers ahead 2-1 in the best‑of‑five series and keeps their historic quest for a third straight World Series title alive.
Yamamoto’s postseason best
Facing Atlanta ace Chris Sale, Yamamoto allowed just four hits and one walk while surrendering three runs. The Japanese right‑hander, who was named MVP of the 2025 World Series, improved his postseason résumé to 8‑1 with a 2.14 ERA in 11 career playoff outings, including 10 starts. His 10 strikeouts marked a career postseason high.
Key offensive moments
Kiké Hernández supplied the early spark with a two‑run homer in the fourth inning, driving in Andy Pages after a single. Later in the same frame, former Brave Freddie Freeman added a solo shot, his 18th career postseason homer, to give Los Angeles a 3‑0 lead.
Atlanta’s only run came in the fifth when Ozzie Albies doubled and Michael Harris II’s groundout moved the runner to third. A foul‑out by Mauricio Dubón and a groundout by Mike Yastrzemski ended the inning without further damage.
Strategic moves by the Dodgers
Manager Dave Roberts adjusted the lineup by moving designated hitter Shohei Ohtani down to the No. 5 spot. Roberts noted Ohtani’s career struggles against Sale – he is 0‑4 with two strikeouts in previous matchups – and believed the shift would give Ohtani better opportunities with runners on base.
Ohtani’s at‑bats were limited. He struck out to end the first inning, reached on catcher’s interference in the third, and walked to lead off the eighth before being replaced due to a lower‑back issue. The injury was later described as “lower back pain.”
Atlanta’s response
Sale, who had been given extra rest for the pivotal third game, managed five innings, allowing three runs on seven hits. He struck out Ohtani to end the first inning and later gave up Hernández’s two‑run homer after stranding six runners in the opening frames.
In the fifth inning, Drake Baldwin’s bases‑loaded grounder drove in Dubón for Atlanta’s lone run. The Braves will look to bounce back in Game 4, with right‑hander Tyler Mahle slated to start against Dodgers ace Tyler Glasnow.
Looking ahead
Mahle told reporters Tuesday that an abdominal pull he felt earlier in the season is now a “non‑issue.” He previously allowed one run in seven innings of a 4‑3 loss to Philadelphia during the NL Wild Card Series.
The Dodgers will aim to close out the series on Wednesday night, while the Braves hope to force a decisive Game 5.
Original reporting: KSAT Sports (San Antonio) — read the source article.
