Yamamoto's Stellar Pitching Leads Dodgers to 2-1 NLDS Lead Over Braves; Kim Ha-seong Goes Hitless

The Los Angeles Dodgers moved within one win of advancing to the National League Championship Series (NLCS), defeating the Atlanta Braves thanks to a stellar pitching performance by starter Yoshinobu Yamamoto.

The Dodgers secured a 3-1 victory against the Braves in Game 3 of the National League Division Series (NLDS, best-of-five) held on October 7 at Truist Park in Atlanta, Georgia.

Leading the series 2 wins to 1, the Dodgers need just one more win in the remaining two games to reach the NLCS.

The Dodgers seized control of the game behind Yamamoto's dominant pitching and a pair of home runs.

Yamamoto, last year's World Series MVP, pitched 7 innings, striking out 10 batters while allowing 4 hits, 1 walk, and 1 run.

The Dodgers' offense was kept scoreless through the first three innings by Atlanta starter Chris Sale, but struck for 3 runs via two home runs in the top of the fourth.

Leadoff batter Andy Pagés reached base with a single to left field, and with one out and a runner on first, Kiké Hernández launched a 124-meter, two-run homer to left off a 143 km/h changeup from Sale.

Following two outs, Freddie Freeman hit a solo home run over the right-center field wall off a 154 km/h sinker, extending the lead to 3-0.

Yamamoto, who had maintained a shutout, allowed 1 run in the bottom of the fifth.

He surrendered back-to-back hits to leadoff batter Mauricio Dubón and the subsequent batter Lane Thomas, and with runners on first and second with one out, he issued a four-pitch walk to Rowdy Tellez.

With one out and the bases loaded, he gave up a run on Drake Baldwin's groundout to first baseman.

Both teams subsequently entered a lull, failing to add any further runs.

Dodgers closer Edwin Díaz, who took the mound in the bottom of the ninth, ran into trouble by allowing leadoff batter Ozzie Albies to hit a double directly off the center field wall.

However, he retired the next three batters in order to close out the 3-1 victory.

Atlanta's Korean big leager Kim Ha-seong started as the ninth-batter shortstop and went hitless in 1 at-bat.

In the top of the first with one out and a runner on first, he committed a fielding error while handling a ground ball hit by the Dodgers' Teoscar Hernández.

However, subsequent batters were retired, avoiding any runs.

Kim, who flied out to left in his first plate appearance in the bottom of the third, was substituted for pinch hitter Tellez with one out and runners on first and second in the bottom of the fifth.

(Photo: Getty Images)
※ Please note: This article was translated by AI and may contain errors.