Dodgers and Braves Set for Historic 2026 Playoff Showdown

The Los Angeles Dodgers and Atlanta Braves share a specific history over the last three decades. Freddie Freeman stands as one major link; he played for both clubs and won a World Series with each. Another pattern is that these teams often perform well simultaneously, leading to postseason meetings. That trend continues now as the two franchises prepare to clash in the 2026 National League Division Series. Game 1 kicks off on Saturday, with Los Angeles holding home-field advantage for the series. This marks the sixth playoff meeting between the organizations, and four of those five completed series happened during or after the 2010s.

History shows how these matchups have played out in the past. The Braves were a well-oiled machine following their 1995 World Series title, while the Dodgers stood as an obstacle in 1996. Los Angeles managed to keep Atlanta's total score down to just ten runs in that NLDS, yet the Braves held them to half that amount by winning a three-game sweep. In Game 1, which went into extra innings, John Smoltz surrendered only one run and six baserunners over nine innings. Catcher Javy López then led off the top of the 10th with a home run off Antonio Osuna for a 2-1 victory that proved enough to take the game.

Greg Maddux worked the mound in Game 2, pitching seven potent innings without any walks or earned runs through the seventh frame. Atlanta still needed to turn the tide later, and two solo homers in the top of the seventh from Fred McGriff and Jermaine Dye did exactly that for a 3-2 win. The Braves sealed the series at home with Tom Glavine surrendering just one run over six and one-third innings in a 5-2 victory. With the bats, McGriff drove in a run on a double early in the bottom of the first inning. Atlanta also generated offense in the fourth when Mark Lemke hit a two-run double and Chipper Jones launched a two-run home run to add four runs for Atlanta.

The Braves went on to win the NL pennant that year, marking their second consecutive championship. They did blow a 2-0 series lead against the New York Yankees in the World Series later that fall. The 2013 season brought the Braves their first National League East title in eight years, but the atmosphere at Turner Field felt muted after Game 1 of the NLDS against Los Angeles. A pair of two-run innings in the second and third frames changed everything. Adrián González hit a two-run homer for the Dodgers, while Mark Ellis drove in a run with a single in the fourth to put the game out of reach. Hanley Ramírez added a double with six runs crossing the plate in total for a 6-1 win, and Clayton Kershaw struck out twelve batters over seven innings against Atlanta's lineup.

Atlanta fought back in Game 2 to take a 4-3 victory. They managed to hold off a late push from Los Angeles that saw Ramírez hit a two-run homer in the eighth inning to keep the Dodgers within one run. Mike Minor kept damage limited for Atlanta, surrendering just one run over six and one-third innings. Jason Heyward provided needed separation with a two-run single in the bottom of the seventh. In Game 3, the Braves jumped out to a 2-0 lead in the first frame, but Los Angeles removed right-hander Julio Teherán after only two and two-thirds innings. The Dodgers then dominated the rest of the game for a 13-6 win that included fourteen hits. Carl Crawford and Juan Uribe each hit home runs, while Ramírez and Yasiel Puig recorded three hits apiece.

Atlanta appeared ready to force a Game 5 after taking a 3-2 lead in the bottom of the eighth inning in Game 4. Then Juan Uribe sent Dodger Stadium into a state of delirium with a go-ahead home run that ultimately won the game and the series. Kenley Jansen struck out the side in the top of the ninth to preserve the victory.

Crawford connected for two solo home runs early on, one in the bottom of the first and another in the third inning. The scene felt eerily similar to events from 2013. At that moment, the Braves had not posted a winning record or reached the playoffs since their previous matchup against the Dodgers back then. They possessed what seemed like a bright future built around a blossoming young core featuring Freddie Freeman, Ronald Acuña Jr., and Ozzie Albies among others. Yet the 2018 NLDS turned sour very quickly for Atlanta.

The team failed to score in each of the first two games while being held to just nine combined hits. They lost Game 1 by a score of 6-0 and fell again in Game 2 with a final tally of 3-0. Left-hander Hyun Jin Ryu pitched seven innings for Los Angeles in that opening contest. Most of the scoring came off a three-run home run from first baseman Max Muncy, while left fielder Joc Pederson and second baseman Kike Hernández each hit solo homers during the game.

In Game 2, Atlanta ran into trouble against Clayton Kershaw once more. The Dodgers ace threw eight scoreless innings and surrendered only two baserunners in total. Those two hits were all the offense he allowed. The three runs for Los Angeles came from a two-run homer by Manny Machado and a solo blast from catcher Yasmani Grandal. It was just a moment in time before things changed drastically.

Atlanta's offense finally woke up in Game 3, managing five runs in the bottom of the second inning off Walker Buehler. That frame featured a grand slam from Acuña. The Dodgers managed to level the score at 5-all with a two-run single from third baseman Justin Turner in the top of the third. They added more later with a two-run home run from left fielder Chris Taylor in the fifth and a solo homer from Muncy. Freeman bailed out the Braves with a solo shot in the bottom of the sixth, helping them hold on to win 6-5.

With that said, Los Angeles closed out the series in Game 4. After trailing 2-1 through five innings, they plated two runs in the sixth inning on a pinch-hit single from David Freese. They added three more in the seventh inning thanks to a three-run homer from Machado. That effort led to a 6-2 victory for Los Angeles. The bullpen also provided four and two thirds of shutout innings during that game. Los Angeles would go on to win the NL pennant for a second consecutive year but also lose in the World Series for a second straight season.

This series was undoubtedly the most painful of this bunch for the Atlanta faithful. It took place at Globe Life Field, which serves as home to the Texas Rangers. All playoff series beyond the wild-card round in 2020 occurred at a neutral site since that year featured only a sixty-game regular season due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Game 1 of the 2020 NL Championship Series was a pitchers duel through eight innings until Atlanta struck for four runs in the top of the ninth. That frame highlighted a two-run home run from Albies and a solo blast from third baseman Austin Riley. Atlanta took control of the series with an 8-7 win in Game 2 to take a 2-0 lead. In said victory, the Braves got home runs from Freeman and Albies, who recorded a game-high three hits himself.

The Dodgers got off the mat in a big way during Game 3 though, essentially ending the contest in the opening frame with an eleven-run first inning. They added four more runs over the next two innings, culminating in a 15-3 win for Los Angeles. In that aforementioned first-inning shellacking, Muncy hit a grand slam while Pederson launched a three-run homer. Pederson also posted a game-high four hits in that contest. Edwin Ríos added a solo homer to the Dodgers tally as well.

All that said, Atlanta thumped the Dodgers in Game 4 with a final score of 10-2 to put Los Angeles on the ropes. Most of the damage came in a six-run sixth inning which broke a 1-1 tie. Designated hitter Marcell Ozuna had a game-high four hits for the Braves, highlighted by a solo home run in the seventh and an RBI double in the sixth. The Dodgers managed just three hits during that loss.

But then it happened. Trailing 2-1 in the top of the sixth inning in Game 5, the Dodgers ripped off a pair of three-run innings to secure a 7-3 victory. That win kept their season alive against all odds.

The Dodgers chipped away with seven total runs, sparked by a fourth-inning solo blast from shortstop Corey Seager and a three-run homer from catcher Will Smith in the sixth. Another two-run shot from Seager followed in the seventh, while Mookie Betts added an RBI single to seal the deal. Then came Game 6 of the NLCS. Los Angeles snapped back early as Seager and Turner each launched solo home runs. Center fielder Cody Bellinger hit an RBI single too, leading a 3-1 win. Walker Buehler pitched six scoreless innings for them.

Game 7 was a wild battle from start to finish. The Braves scored in the first and second innings. The Dodgers answered with two runs in the bottom of the third. Atlanta retaken the lead in the top of the fourth. Solo home runs from Hernández in the sixth and Bellinger in the seventh gave Los Angeles the victory. They pulled off a stunning series comeback after falling down 3-1.

After that heartbreak, the Dodgers beat the Tampa Bay Rays in the 2020 World Series. It marked their first championship since 1988. The teams met again in the 2021 NLCS, but Atlanta exacted revenge this time around. Game 1 was a low-scoring affair where the Dodgers used a bullpen game. Left-hander Max Fried got six plausible innings for the Braves. Riley hit a solo home run in the bottom of the fourth and ensured no extra innings were needed with a walk-off RBI single. The game ended tied at 2-all entering the ninth.

Los Angeles began Game 2 with a bang when Seager hit a two-run homer in the top of the first. Joc Pederson matched that long ball with his own two-run shot in the bottom of the fourth. He had left the Dodgers after the 2020 season and was traded to Atlanta during the 2021 campaign. Like Game 1, this one entered the ninth inning tied. The Braves walked it off again. This time Eddie Rosario drove an infield single home for a walk-off win. He finished with four hits in that 5-4 victory.

Atlanta looked poised to take a 3-0 series lead in Game 3, leading 5-2 entering the bottom of the eighth. But Bellinger hit a three-run homer later in that inning. Betts followed with an RBI double too. These plays gave the Dodgers a desperately needed 6-5 win. The Braves put Los Angeles on the brink of elimination next. A 9-2 victory in Game 4 saw Rosario hit two home runs and log his second four-hit game in the series. Freeman and outfielder Adam Duvall also homered for Atlanta.

At first, Atlanta looked like it would roll to a Game 5 victory as Freeman launched a two-run homer in the top of the first. But the Los Angeles bats came to life in momentous fashion. The Dodgers plated eleven runs to fend off elimination. Third baseman Chris Taylor was the star of the show, cranking three home runs. Left fielder AJ Pollock blasted two long balls too.

At this point in time, each game winner matched the 2020 NLCS results, bringing back nightmare memories for Braves fans. But Game 6 had a much different finish. Riley drew first blood with an RBI double in the bottom of the first. Rosario hit three homers in the fourth, putting Atlanta up to stay. The team went on to win that game 4-2. Moreover, the Braves would beat the Houston Astros in the World Series. That marked their first championship triumph since 1995. This all happened with Acuña missing the second half of the season and the entire postseason due to a knee injury.

Act 6 of this playoff rivalry commences on Saturday night at 4 p.m. ET on FOX.