October baseball continues tonight with two National League Division Series games carrying very different levels of pressure.
The Los Angeles Dodgers and Atlanta Braves meet in Game 3 with their series tied 1-1, while the Milwaukee Brewers head to San Diego with a chance to eliminate the Padres.
Dodgers vs. Braves: Series Up for Grabs
First pitch in Atlanta is set for 6:00 PM ET.
The Dodgers took Game 1 before Atlanta answered with a 3-2 win in Game 2, sending the series to Truist Park tied at one game apiece.
Yoshinobu Yamamoto is scheduled to start for Los Angeles against Chris Sale for Atlanta, giving Game 3 one of the best pitching matchups of the postseason so far.
Yamamoto has been especially difficult away from Los Angeles, while Sale has already shown this season that he can shut down the Dodgers’ lineup.
The betting market reflects how close this matchup is. Atlanta enters around -110 on the moneyline with Los Angeles at -108. The total sits at 6.0 runs.
For both teams, this is the game that can change the shape of the series. A win puts either club one victory away from the NLCS.
Brewers vs. Padres: San Diego Faces Elimination
The pressure is much heavier in San Diego.
Milwaukee carries a 2-0 series lead into Game 3 after winning the opening two games at home. The Brewers can close out the series tonight and become one of the first teams through to the league championship round.
San Diego will turn to Nick Pivetta with its season on the line, while Dustin May is expected to start for Milwaukee.
The Padres are slight home favourites at approximately -133, with Milwaukee around +113. The total is set at 7.0 runs.
San Diego was one of baseball’s better home teams during the regular season, but none of that matters if the offence cannot produce tonight.
Two games. One tied series. One elimination game.
This is where October starts getting serious.