Cap Space: Atlanta's Hard Road to the NLDS
The Braves survived the Wild Card, but now they face a rested, 100-win Dodgers juggernaut.
Listen, the Braves did what they had to do. On Thursday, October 1, they punched their ticket to the next round by taking down the Phillies with a 6-2 victory in Game 3 of the Wild Card Series. It wasn't a cakewalk—they had to fight through a 4-3 loss in Game 2 on September 30—but as CBS Sports reports, the Braves managed to secure the series 2-1.
But here is the reality of the postseason: surviving the Wild Card is one thing; surviving a collision with a juggernaut is another. Atlanta now finds themselves staring down the barrel of a matchup with the Los Angeles Dodgers, the two-time reigning champions.
**OPINION:** In my book, the timing here is brutal. While the Braves were grinding out a three-game series against Philadelphia, the Dodgers were sitting pretty with a first-round bye. That's the danger of the current format. CBS Sports notes that since the Wild Card format began in 2022, the team that wins Game 1 has gone on to win the series in 19 of 20 instances. Atlanta fit that mold by winning Game 1 on September 29, but the physical and emotional toll of a three-game sprint is a heavy price to pay before facing a team that hasn't broken a sweat in the playoffs yet.
Los Angeles isn't just rested; they are a powerhouse. According to CBS Sports, the Dodgers entered the postseason as one of only two teams to hit triple digits in the win column during the regular season, finishing with 100 wins. They'll be waiting at home for the Braves, hosting Game 1 of the NLDS this Saturday, October 3.
Atlanta has the momentum of a series win, but they're walking into a buzzsaw. The Dodgers have the home-field advantage for the start of the series, and they have the luxury of having their arms and legs fresh. For the Braves to pull an upset, they'll need to find a way to offset that disparity in energy. It's a tall order against a reigning champion that has spent the last week preparing specifically for them.
Whether Atlanta has enough gas left in the tank to survive the Dodgers' juggernaut remains the biggest question of the NLDS. We'll find out starting Saturday at 4 p.m.