The Los Angeles Dodgers are tied 1-1 in their National League Division Series against the Atlanta Braves, and the old debate about whether a playoff bye helps or hurts has come roaring back. Freddie Freeman has heard enough of it.

Atlanta evened the series with a 3-2 win at Dodger Stadium on Sunday night, one day after Los Angeles took the opener 5-3. The Dodgers went 0-for-8 with runners in scoring position and stranded seven in the Game 2 loss.

Blake Snell, who had thrown only five innings over the previous two and a half weeks because of left groin tightness, lasted just 3 2/3 innings and walked five. Mauricio Dubon put the Braves ahead with a two-out RBI single in the first inning. Michael Harris II later tripled on a misplayed fly ball by Teoscar Hernández in the fifth and scored the go-ahead run on a wild pitch from Kris Bubic.

Rust has been a popular explanation for top seeds stumbling after long layoffs. Freeman, referring to the five days off the Dodgers had before the series began, dismissed the idea.

“Everyone starts talking about, ‘Is the bye good?' Of course the bye is good,” Freeman said after the game. “Do you want to go to a three-game (wild-card) series?”

The alternative is a best-of-three Wild Card Series, where one bad night can end a season before a division series even begins. The Braves had to survive that round to get here.

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Freeman did his part Sunday. His solo home run in the fourth inning tied the game at 1-1 and was his first extra-base hit since September 2, a welcome sign after he spent part of September dealing with a knee issue.

The Dodgers are chasing a third straight World Series title, but Freeman made it clear that the clubhouse is not looking that far ahead.

“We're not trying to think about winning three series in a row, three World Series,” Freeman said. “We're trying to get through Tuesday.”

Game 3 is set for Tuesday at 6 p.m. ET at Truist Park. Yoshinobu Yamamoto will start for Los Angeles against Chris Sale, with the winner moving one victory from the NL Championship Series in the best-of-five matchup.