Chris Sale against Yoshinobu Yamamoto is the best pitching matchup of the postseason so far.

The series is tied 1-1 and both aces are finally on the mound.

Braves left-hander Chris Sale walks out of the dugout before Game 3 of the National League Division Series.
Atlanta Braves pitcher Chris Sale walks out of the dugout before Game 3 of baseball's National League Division Series against the Los Angeles Dodgers, Tuesday, Oct. 6, 2026, in Atlanta. — (AP Photo/Brynn Anderson)

How to watch

Dodgers at Braves, NLDS Game 3
Tuesday, Oct. 6, 6 p.m. ET / 3 p.m. PT
Truist Park, Atlanta

TV: FS1
Spanish: FOX Deportes
Streaming: FOX One
Radio: 680 AM and 93.7 FM The Fan in Atlanta with Spanish on La Mejor, ESPN Radio

National League games are on FOX and FS1 this round. American League games are on TBS and truTV.

FS1 is carried on YouTube TV, Hulu Live, Fubo, Sling and DirecTV Stream.

Weather is 77 degrees and clear with an 8 mph wind.

Lineups

Atlanta: Drake Baldwin C, Ronald Acuna Jr. DH, Matt Olson 1B, Ozzie Albies 2B, Michael Harris II CF, Mauricio Dubon LF, Lane Thomas RF, Austin Riley 3B, Ha-Seong Kim SS.

Los Angeles: Mookie Betts SS, Freddie Freeman 1B, Teoscar Hernandez LF, Will Smith C, Shohei Ohtani DH, Miguel Rojas 2B, Andy Pages CF, Kyle Tucker RF, Enrique Hernandez 3B.

Sean Murphy was scratched for Atlanta.

Ohtani drops to fifth

Shohei Ohtani hits fifth against Sale, the first time he has started lower than second for the Dodgers. The last time he hit fifth or lower in any game was September 2020 with the Angels.

He is 3-for-15 with a double, a walk and five strikeouts in his career against Sale.

Dave Roberts said Ohtani responded by joking he had been planning to ask to hit seventh.

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Los Angeles Dodgers pitcher Yoshinobu Yamamoto greets people before Game 2 of a National League Division Series baseball game against the Atlanta Braves Sunday, Oct. 4, 2026, in Los Angeles. — (AP Photo/Jae C. Hong)

Chris Sale

Sale starts on regular rest after pitching twice in the Wild Card Series — 6 1/3 innings in Game 1 and the final four outs of the clinching Game 3 on one day of rest.

He was a candidate to start Game 2 on short rest. Atlanta used a bullpen game instead and won 3-2.

Yoshinobu Yamamoto

Yamamoto makes his first appearance of this postseason. He is the reigning World Series MVP, having finished Game 7 one day after throwing six innings in Game 6.

He threw six shutout innings in Japan's Olympic opener in 2021 and made the All-Olympic team.

How the series got here

Los Angeles won Game 1 5-3. Tarik Skubal retired 15 straight Atlanta batters. Teoscar Hernandez, Kyle Tucker and Max Muncy homered.

Atlanta won Game 2 3-2 behind another bullpen game. Ray Kerr opened, Didier Fuentes retired 11 consecutive batters at 21 years old, Mauricio Dubon drove in a first-inning run and Michael Harris II doubled home another in the seventh. Max Muncy homered in the ninth before Raisel Iglesias closed it.

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Atlanta Braves starting pitcher Ray Kerr, center right, celebrates with center fielder Michael Harris II (23) and other teammates after the Braves defeated the Los Angeles Dodgers 3-2 in Game 2 of a National League Division Series baseball game Sunday, Oct. 4, 2026, in Los Angeles. — (AP Photo/Jae C. Hong)

The series schedule

Game 1 — Los Angeles 5, Atlanta 3
Game 2 — Atlanta 3, Los Angeles 2
Game 3 — Tuesday, Oct. 6, 6 p.m. ET, Atlanta
Game 4 — Wednesday, Oct. 7, 6 p.m. ET, Atlanta, if necessary
Game 5 — Friday, Oct. 9, 8 p.m. ET, Los Angeles, if necessary

Games 3 and 4 are on FS1. Game 5 is on FOX. The winner plays in the National League Championship Series beginning Oct. 11.

The rest of Tuesday

Brewers at Padres, 9:30 p.m. ET on FS1. Dustin May starts for Milwaukee against Nick Pivetta. San Diego faces elimination down 2-0.

The American League series resume Wednesday. Chicago leads Cleveland 1-0 and Tampa Bay leads New York 2-0.