Braves tame Dodgers’ star-studded lineup in Game 2. Can they knock out the champs?

Left‑hander Kris Bubic’s sweeping wild pitch drifted past catcher Will Smith, and Michael Harris II sprinted home from 90 feet to give Atlanta a 2‑1 lead.

“Getting the split in this place against these guys, yeah, it’s awesome,” Braves manager Walt Weiss said, his grin echoing the sudden shift in momentum. Harris later doubled off Edgardo Henriquez to pad the advantage, while a later solo homer by Max Muncy trimmed the gap to one in the ninth. The Dodgers’ bullpen, featuring rookie Josue De Paula in his playoff debut, could not muster a rally, and Raisel Iglesias closed out the 3‑2 win.

First, the Dodgers’ offense, which had exploded for five homers in Game 1, was throttled to just two solo shots. Their reliance on power left them vulnerable when pitchers like Ray Kerr and Didier Fuentes forced contact and limited extra‑base opportunities. Even his experience as a two‑time Cy Young winner could not compensate for the loss of command, and the Dodgers’ inability to string together runs early put them on the back foot.

The Braves, meanwhile, turned a depleted rotation into a bullpen‑driven advantage. With Chris Sale resting, Ray Kerr—once a junior‑college pitcher who survived foster care, 7‑Eleven shifts, and a Tommy John surgery—started the game on the day’s morning and delivered 2⅔ scoreless innings, striking out four. His unheralded rise was matched by Didier Fuentes, who slipped into the fifth and held the Dodgers scoreless until Muncy’s ninth‑inning blast. The depth of Atlanta’s relievers, from Kerr to Iglesias, forced Los Angeles to scramble for match‑ups, a pattern that may dictate the series tempo.

Manager Dave Roberts hinted at “riding certain guys” and expanding the bullpen, but the health of Snell’s arm and the crew’s capacity to contain Atlanta’s emerging hitters remain open questions. If the Dodgers cling to a home‑run‑first strategy without tightening pitch execution, the Braves’ blend of opportunistic offense and versatile arms could tip the series. The hinge moment—a wild pitch—has already rewritten the narrative; the next chapter will hinge on whether Los Angeles can answer with more than sheer power.