Dodgers move ahead of Braves, Padres avoid elimination against Brewers in NLDS

The Los Angeles Dodgers and San Diego Padres each recorded crucial victories on Tuesday as the National League Division Series continued with two Game 3 contests. The Dodgers topped the Atlanta Braves 3‑1 at Truist Park, seizing a 2‑1 advantage in the best‑of‑five set, while the Padres held off the Milwaukee Brewers 4‑3 at Petco Park, trimming Milwaukee’s series lead to 2‑1. In Atlanta, Yoshinobu Yamamoto delivered one of the Dodgers’ most impressive postseason outings, yielding a single run on four hits across seven innings and striking out ten. Los Angeles broke through against Chris Sale in the fourth inning when Kiké Hernández launched a two‑run homer, followed by a solo shot from Freddie Freeman. The Braves managed only five hits and went 0‑for‑6 with runners in scoring position, as Yamamoto and the Dodgers’ bullpen stifled any late rally. Edwin Díaz secured the save after navigating a leadoff triple in the ninth. Freeman’s home run marked his 18th postseason blast, tying him for 10th place on MLB’s all‑time postseason list. Sale finished with seven strikeouts but allowed three runs on seven hits over five innings, leaving the Dodgers one win shy of advancing to the National League Championship Series. San Diego entered its game facing a must‑win scenario, trailing Milwaukee 2‑0 in the series before Tuesday’s contest. The Padres jumped to an early 2‑0 lead via run‑scoring plays by Fernando Tatis Jr. and Manny Machado, but William Contreras’ fourth‑inning homer and a sacrifice fly by Jackson Chourio evened the score. Jake Cronenworth restored the Padres’ edge with a solo homer in the fifth, and an error permitted San Diego to add another run in the sixth. Christian Yelich pulled Milwaukee within one with an RBI single in the seventh, yet Xander Bogaerts ended the ninth with a game‑saving triple play. Milwaukee out‑hit San Diego 11‑6 but left eleven runners on base, while Contreras went 3‑for‑4 with a homer and Yelich notched his first postseason RBI since 2018. The loss extended the Brewers’ postseason road losing streak to twelve games. Game 4 matchups between the Padres and Brewers, and the Dodgers and Braves are slated for Wednesday.