NLCS Game 3; ALCS Game 4 GameThreads

Brian Snitker’s Braves won both games of their NLCS matchup in Atlanta, but now the series shifts to Los Angeles, where the Dodgers have won nine straight against the Braves, and 19 of 22 going back to 2013’s NLDS between the clubs.

Dave Roberts’ club was 58-23 in Dodger Stadium in the 2021 regular season. It isn’t going to be easy for Snitker’s team, but they knew that coming into the series.

“They’re just really good here, really good,” Snitker said after arriving in LA on Monday.

“I mean, it’s, you know, it’s fun to come out here. Dodger Stadium is an electric place, and the weather’s nice.

“But they’re just, they’re a really tough team to beat here for us, obviously, in this ballpark.”

Roberts and the Dodgers, of course, are happy to be back in Los Angeles, as he told reporters when asked about the club’s mindset going into Game 3.

“I think for us [the mindset] is we’re back home. We expect to win Game 3,” Roberts said.

“And I think that for us, we’ve got Walker [Buehler] going... and we’re going to do everything we can to get back in this series.”

Charlie Morton starts for the Braves. Game 3 gets underway at 5:08 PM ET.

Three hours later, the Houston Astros and Boston Red Sox will play Game 4 of their ALCS matchup in Fenway Park, where the Sox jumped out to a 6-0 lead early last night and put twelve runs total on the board in a 12-3 win.

“Today was as close as we’ve been to a perfect game, to be honest with you,” Sox’ skipper Alex Cora said after his club took a 2-1 lead in the best-of-seven series. “We pitched well, played great defense, we ran the bases. We were very aggressive in a lot of aspects, so tonight is one of those that you feel good about it, but at the same time, like we always do, we turn the page. We’ll be ready for tomorrow. That’s a really good team out there. It’s never comfortable with them. We got to be ready.”

Astros’ manager Dusty Baker talked after last night’s loss about finding motivation, or a fire in their bellies, as one reporter put it, playing in a fairly hostile environment in the Red Sox’ home.

“Well, they already got that in their belly,” Baker said. “Their belly is full of that. We’ve been going through this all year. Plus, we’ve been here once already, and these players have been here more than me. I mean, a lot more than me. I think this is only, I don’t know, the first time here was the first time I ever managed here. I was trying to remember, man, have I managed here before? Schedule didn’t work out or I was out of the game. Like I said, these guys have been here a whole lot more than me, and I think I had only played as a player a couple of series here.

“Yeah, it couldn’t be much more hostile than New York was hostile. So you just have to put that out of your mind and just play.”

Enjoy your Championship Series Tuesday...