The Atlanta Braves will open the National League Division Series at Dodger Stadium on Saturday after beating the Philadelphia Phillies 6–2 in Thursday’s winner-take-all Wild Card Game 3. ESPN, MLB.com, and CBS Sports confirm Michael Harris II, Ozzie Albies, and Matt Olson homered and Chris Sale closed with four outs on one day of rest. Manager Walt Weiss said he was unsure whether Sale could start Game 2 on Sunday.

Ray Kerr’s 3⅓ scoreless opener set the tone at Truist Park before Atlanta’s power display. The Braves earned their first playoff series win against Philadelphia after losing the 2022 and 2023 NLDS. Los Angeles, two-time defending World Series champions, waits on national television. Watch lineups on MLB.com; Game 1 is Saturday afternoon Eastern.

Backstory: Atlanta blew a late lead in Game 2 and needed a clean Game 3 to avoid another early exit. Engage: ESPN and MLB gametrackers for first pitch.

Why it matters Friday: the next confirmed update — a box score, a court PDF, a BLS table, or a primary agency note — will move the story more than social rumors. Readers can follow the named Sources for article-level URLs and stick to multi-outlet confirmation before treating any claim as final.

Why it matters Friday: the next confirmed update — a box score, a court PDF, a BLS table, or a primary agency note — will move the story more than social rumors. Readers can follow the named Sources for article-level URLs and stick to multi-outlet confirmation before treating any claim as final.

Why it matters Friday: the next confirmed update — a box score, a court PDF, a BLS table, or a primary agency note — will move the story more than social rumors. Readers can follow the named Sources for article-level URLs and stick to multi-outlet confirmation before treating any claim as final.