Dodgers hit two homers off Chris Sale to steal game three of NLDS behind Yoshinobu Yamamoto

The division series between the and Atlanta Braves pitted two very good, division-winning teams against each other. And through three games, it's been the tight, hard-fought contest you'd expect given the impressive collection of talent on both teams.

While the Dodgers jumped out to a 5-1 lead thanks to home runs from Teoscar Hernandez, Kyle Tucker, and Max Muncy, the Braves battled back in the 9th inning with a two-run homer of their own from Ozzie Albies. It was a sign of things to come in the ensuing games.

Game two seemed to set up perfectly for Los Angeles to take command of the series. Instead of using Chris Sale, decided to give their superstar starter another few days of rest, as they did for much of the regular season. Instead of Chris Sale, the Braves went for a bullpen game, opened by Ray Kerr.

Two-time Cy Young Award winner Blake Snell, going up against the Braves bullpen and Ray Kerr. But as is so often the case in Major League Baseball, particularly postseason baseball, it didn't work out that way. Kerr was excellent, and reliever Didier Fuentes was even better, going 3.2 innings with just one run allowed. Snell didn't have it, walking five hitters, though limited the damage to just one run himself.

Atlanta pushed across two runs, one coming on a series of uncharacteristic Dodger misplays. Left fielder Teoscar Hernandez misplayed a fly ball to left field, turning an out into a triple for Michael Harris II. Harris then immediately scored on a wild pitch from reliever Kris Bubic, before doubling in the third run of the game in the 7th inning. Max Muncy homered with the Dodgers down to their last strike to make it 3-2, but Josue De Paula popped up to end it and even the series at a game apiece.

That set up a pivotal game three in Atlanta, with Sale now available on regular rest, going against World Series MVP Yoshinobu Yamamoto. Exactly what postseason baseball should be.

Sale, who'd obliterated the Dodgers in August, allowing just five hits and striking out 11 in a complete game shutout, looked to be the overwhelming favorite to take down the Dodgers' struggling lefties. Including , who's been far from himself after a number of mid-season injuries.

But Yamamoto is pretty exceptional himself, a fact both starters acknowledged in a fantastic pregame tribute from one star to another.

Surprisingly though, Sale didn't have his best stuff. Two first inning baserunners and long counts ran his pitch count up, and only the Dodgers' prolific incompetence with runners in scoring position prevented the score from spiraling out of control.

With Yamamoto cruising, the Dodgers once again had an opportunity to take control of the game in the third inning. With Mookie Betts on first, Freddie Freeman hit a deep fly ball to left field that looked like it was headed over the wall...until Mauricio Dubon made a spectacular play to bring it back.

In the fourth though, the Dodgers finally broke through.

The struggling Andy Pages singled off Sale to lead off the inning, before Kyle Tucker struck out. That brought postseason hero Kike Hernandez to the plate, starting his first game of the postseason. And Hernandez struck again in October, crushing a low change up into the left field seats for a 2-0 lead.

THE CRAIG CARTO

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