Yamamoto strikes out 10 as Dodgers beat Braves 3-1 for NLDS lead; Padres stay alive against Brewers

Yoshinobu Yamamoto struck out a postseason career-high 10 batters over seven innings as the Los Angeles Dodgers beat the Atlanta Braves 3-1 in Game 3 of their National League Division Series on Tuesday (6 October, US time), moving within one win of the NL Championship Series.

Later the same night, the San Diego Padres stayed alive in the other NLDS, beating the Milwaukee Brewers 4-3 thanks to a Jake Cronenworth home run and two innings of relief from Michael King on one day of rest. Milwaukee still lead that series 2-1.

Yamamoto in control at Truist Park

Yamamoto, who closed out Game 7 of last year's World Series, was making his first appearance of this postseason and looked every bit the big-game pitcher. He allowed only one run in seven innings, which came in the fifth when Drake Baldwin grounded out with the bases loaded.

The Dodgers' runs came against Chris Sale, who went five innings and gave up three runs on five hits with six strikeouts. Enrique Hernandez and Freddie Freeman both hit solo home runs in the fourth inning, with Freeman's shot to right stretching the lead to 3-0.

Manager Dave Roberts had shuffled his line-up for the game with Sale on the mound, including moving Shohei Ohtani down to the fifth spot in the order.

Atlanta's bats remain the concern. The Braves went 0-for-6 with runners in scoring position, left six on base, and are hitting .196 as a team this postseason, according to the Atlanta Journal-Constitution.

Padres hang on to force Game 4

In San Diego, Fernando Tatis Jr. and Manny Machado drove in early runs for the Padres, before Cronenworth broke a tie with a solo homer in the fifth inning. Milwaukee answered through a William Contreras home run and a seventh-inning RBI single from Christian Yelich, but could not find the tying run.

Yuki Matsui got a key out with the bases loaded in the fifth, and King then pitched the final two innings for his first save since 2023. The game finished with Xander Bogaerts snaring a 107 mph line drive at shortstop and turning it into a game-ending double play.

The Brewers had won the first two games 3-2 and 4-3, the second on a walk-off from Jackson Chourio.

American League sides on the brink

Over in the American League, two teams went 2-0 up on Monday. The Chicago White Sox edged the Cleveland Guardians 4-3 after a 3-0 win in Game 1, while the Tampa Bay Rays beat the New York Yankees 5-2 following a 1-0 victory in the opener. Both Cleveland and New York now need three straight wins.

Wednesday's games in Malaysian time

All four Division Series are in action on Wednesday in the US, which means Thursday morning (8 October) in Malaysia:

• Guardians at White Sox, ALDS Game 3: 4am
• Dodgers at Braves, NLDS Game 4: 6am
• Rays at Yankees, ALDS Game 3: 8am
• Brewers at Padres, NLDS Game 4: 10am

Neither the Brewers nor the Padres had named a Game 4 starter at the time of the AP report. If needed, a Game 5 between them would be played on Friday in Milwaukee.

Key takeaways

• Yamamoto struck out 10 in seven innings as the Dodgers beat the Braves 3-1 to lead the NLDS 2-1.
• Enrique Hernandez and Freddie Freeman homered off Chris Sale in the fourth inning.
• The Padres beat the Brewers 4-3 to avoid elimination; Milwaukee lead 2-1.
• The White Sox and Rays both lead their ALDS 2-0 heading into Game 3.

FAQ

What was the score in Dodgers vs Braves NLDS Game 3? The Dodgers won 3-1 in Atlanta and lead the best-of-five series 2-1.

Who hit the go-ahead home run for the Padres in Game 3? Jake Cronenworth hit a tie-breaking solo home run in the fifth inning as San Diego won 4-3.

What time are the Division Series games in Malaysia on Thursday? Guardians-White Sox at 4am, Dodgers-Braves at 6am, Rays-Yankees at 8am and Brewers-Padres at 10am on Thursday, 8 October.

Sources: MLB.com, Atlanta Journal-Constitution, Associated Press, NBC Los Angeles, ESPN