LOS ANGELES -- The Braves made things interesting late, but the well-rested Dodgers held on for a 5-3 victory in Game 1 of the National League Division Series on Saturday at Dodger Stadium.
There’s still a lot of baseball left in the series, but a few storylines that may go a long way toward deciding the winner were on full display in Game 1.
Here are the four biggest takeaways from the series opener -- and how they might impact the rest of the NLDS:
1. Ace trumps opener
Braves opener Dylan Dodd did everything the club could have asked and more ... but Atlanta's pitching approach was simply no match for Dodgers ace Tarik Skubal, who threw six innings of one-run ball.
While the Dodgers had the benefit of lining up their rotation thanks to the bye, the Braves had to use their best starters in the NL Wild Card Series. Chris Sale wasn't available until at least Game 2 of the NLDS. Tyler Mahle can't go until Game 3. Bryce Elder, Martín Pérez and Reynaldo López aren't on the roster due to injuries.
That left Atlanta to cobble together a plan for 27 outs for the second time in as many games. But even with Dodd (three scoreless innings) doing his best Ray Kerr impression, the Dodgers pounced the moment the Braves went to the 'pen.
Even if the Braves indeed go with Sale and Mahle in Games 2 and 3, respectively, they'll again need to get creative in a potential Game 4. The Dodgers, meanwhile, are in prime position to roll out Blake Snell, Yoshinobu Yamamoto and Tyler Glasnow over the next three games (if necessary).
2. Can late hit spark Acuña?
Ronald Acuña Jr. has yet to really get going this postseason. After going just 1-for-9 in the Wild Card Series against the Phillies, Acuña was 0-for-3 against Skubal before ripping a leadoff single to start the ninth against lefty Tanner Scott.
Ozzie Albies followed with a two-run homer. There’s no question that Acuña can be a catalyst for the Braves offense -- and they’ll be hoping his late knock is a sign of things to come.
Atlanta had plenty of guys step up in the opening round -- from Austin Riley to Albies to Michael Harris II -- but it will almost certainly need Acuña to get rolling if it hopes to battle back against the Dodgers.
Acuña was Atlanta's hottest hitter down the stretch, batting .307 (27-for-88) with seven homers, 19 RBIs and a .950 OPS in the month of September to close out the regular season. But through four games this postseason, he’s still looking for his first extra-base hit.
That said, the Dodgers’ stars were also held in check in Game 1 -- but it was their role players who stepped up this time around. Teoscar Hernández, Kyle Tucker and Max Muncy each homered on a day when Mookie Betts, Shohei Ohtani, Will Smith and Freddie Freeman went a combined 3-for-14 (all singles).
The complementary pieces will continue to be a factor for both teams, but the Braves’ best path to a comeback involves Acuña being, well … Acuña.
3. Ohtani looks … OK?
Nobody quite knows what to expect from Ohtani this postseason after his injury-riddled second half. After a mid-September stint on the injured list to rest his ongoing right biceps and left knee injuries, Ohtani got in some limited reps over the season’s final week.
He went 5-for-21 (.238) with one double and eight strikeouts against one walk in those five regular-season games.
After almost another week off thanks to the Dodgers’ bye, Ohtani stepped to the plate in the first inning and ripped a 105 mph single in his first at-bat of the NLDS. He flied out in each of his next three at-bats.
Obviously, it was far from peak Ohtani, but it was another step in the right direction.
4. What it means?
The Braves know all too well from their Wild Card Series win over the Phillies just how important winning Game 1 can be in a postseason series. Though they have a little more wiggle room in the best-of-five NLDS, they still face a tough road ahead after dropping the opener.
In all best-of-five postseason series, the team that wins Game 1 has gone on to win the series 73% of the time (116 of 160 series). Meanwhile, under the current LDS format, teams that win Game 1 at home have gone on to take the series 75% of the time (42 of 56).