Dodgers vs. Braves Preview, Playoff Preview, Pitching Duels & TV

The Dodgers and Braves have been in and out of the playoffs recently, and have had to fight through the quagmire of countless injuries this year. Los Angeles still leads its division and is on track for its 12th consecutive playoff appearance, while Atlanta is currently battling for a wild-card spot in the National League.

This is the second time in three weekends that the Dodgers will play a wraparound series on the road that begins Friday and ends Monday.

In May, the Dodgers swept the Braves at Dodger Stadium, limiting Atlanta to just six runs in three games. But that feels like forever ago, and none of the Dodgers’ three starting pitchers from this weekend will pitch in this series. Gavin Stone is on the injured list with shoulder inflammation, James Paxton was designated for assignment and traded in July, and Tyler Glasnow is working on his comeback from elbow tendinitis.

Glasnow will be a key presence on the mound this weekend in Atlanta, however. He’ll pitch a simulated two- or three-inning game at Truist Park on Friday, likely the final step before he rejoins the Dodgers’ rotation next week, albeit in a reduced role.

The most important pitching duel of the series could come on Saturday, when Chris Sale, favorite for the National League Cy Young Award, faces Atlanta against Jack Flaherty, a trade-deadline signee coming off 7⅓ scoreless innings in his last start for the Dodgers.

Yoshinobu Yamamoto impressed in his first start back from the injured list on Tuesday, with eight strikeouts in four innings. His second start back from the injury layoff will be Monday in the series finale, where he faces left-hander Max Fried, who will be pitching after four days off. Normally, that would have been Reynaldo Lopez’s rotation, but the Atlanta right-hander was placed on the injured list because of shoulder inflammation.

Freddie Freeman has had at least one hit in all six games at Truist Park since joining the Dodgers, posting a .360/.467/.560 batting average with two doubles and a home run over the past two seasons at his old home park.

Weather could play a role this long weekend in Atlanta, with rain forecast for all four days.

Two of the four games will be televised nationally only, with no local broadcast by SportsNet LA. The opening game on Friday will be broadcast on Apple TV+ and the third game of the series will be broadcast on ESPN “Sunday Night Baseball.”