Braves beat Dodgers in Game 2 to level National League Division Series

The Atlanta Braves beat the Los Angeles Dodgers in Game 2 of their National League Division Series, leaving the best-of-five series even. The series now moves to Atlanta for Game 3. Michael Harris II hit a triple and a double and scored a run. These facts are reported by both ESPN and The Japan Times.

Reported details

The final score was 3-2 and the game was played on Sunday in Los Angeles, according to ESPN. The Japan Times reports that Harris went 3-for-5 and drove in one run, and that Game 3 is on Tuesday.

According to ESPN, the Braves took a 2-1 lead in the fifth inning when Harris tripled to deep left field and scored on a wild pitch. A Harris double in the seventh added to the lead.

ESPN reports that Ray Kerr started for the Braves and recorded the first eight outs. Didier Fuentes recorded all but one of the final 12. Together they accounted for 19 of the Braves' 27 outs. Kerr was told by phone on Sunday morning that he would start, according to ESPN, which describes the game as the Braves' third bullpen game in four days.

The Dodgers were hitless in eight at-bats with runners in scoring position, ESPN reports. Their runs came on solo home runs by Freddie Freeman in the fourth inning and Max Muncy with two outs in the ninth. Muncy's home run came with the Dodgers down to their last strike. Raisel Iglesias then retired Josue De Paula on a foul popup to end the game. Dodgers starter Blake Snell left with two outs in the fourth after 90 pitches.

ESPN also reports that the Braves lost Game 1, that the Dodgers are the two-time defending champions, and that Chris Sale is due to start Game 3 for Atlanta.

What each side says

ESPN quoted Braves manager Walt Weiss as saying of the heavy use of Kerr and Fuentes: "It wasn't the plan. Believe me." On the series, ESPN quoted him as saying: "It doesn't get any easier, but I like the fact that we go back home even and we have Chris Sale."

ESPN quoted Kerr as saying: "It's full of trust on this team."

ESPN quoted first baseman Matt Olson as saying of Fuentes: "I assumed he was done after three, and he came out and was chucking a hundred."

The reports reviewed by Vocemundi do not include any comment from the Dodgers' players or manager.

What the reports do not include

The reports do not describe how the Braves scored their first run. They do not include the score of Game 1 or a start time for Game 3. Most of the detail rests on ESPN alone, and the Japan Times item reviewed was a brief summary.

Analysis

A level series heading to Atlanta changes the shape of the contest, but not necessarily its direction. The Braves have relied heavily on relievers, with ESPN reporting three bullpen games in four days, so pitcher workload could become a factor if the series runs long. A start by Chris Sale in Game 3, as ESPN reports is planned, could ease that pressure. The Dodgers, according to ESPN, have Yoshinobu Yamamoto and Tyler Glasnow in line for the games in Atlanta. Either team could still take the series, and the reports give no basis for favouring one outcome.

Produced by the Vocemundi newsroom with AI assistance.