The Dodgers could blow this.
uncertain
Dodgers → blow → this
They could actually blow this.
uncertain
They → blow → this
The Atlanta Braves walked into their National League Division Series with an enormous self-inflicted wound, and the Dodgers had them right where they wanted after claiming the opening game.
asserted
they → walk → game
But as this series heads to Atlanta for Games 3 and 4, the Dodgers unexpectedly find themselves in trouble.
asserted
themselves → head → trouble
So much for the Braves being worn down.
asserted
Braves → wear → ?
The Dodgers handed back whatever advantages they had in an unforgivable 3-2 defeat on Sunday that leveled the series at one game apiece.
asserted
that → hand → game
If the Dodgers are to advance to the NL Championship Series, they will have to earn it.
asserted
they → advance → it
The Braves’ starting pitcher for Game 3 on Tuesday: Chris Sale, the former Cy Young Award winner who pitched a complete shutout against them in August.
asserted
who → pitch → August
In Game 4, the Dodgers will face right-hander Tyler Mahle, a successful reclamation project who was 4-1 with a 1.99 earned-run average in nine starts after the Braves acquired him from the San Francisco Giants at the trade deadline.
asserted
Braves → face → deadline
If there is a Game 5, it will be played at Dodger Stadium, with Tarik Skubal scaling the mound for the Dodgers and the Braves resorting to their third bullpen game of the series.
asserted
Braves → be → series
Skubal blanked the Braves over six innings in Game 1, but six Braves relievers combined to shut down the Dodgers in Game 2.
asserted
relievers → blank → Game
The Braves have found a realistic path to victory in a series in which they looked as if they had no chance just a day earlier.
asserted
they → find → chance
How did it come to this?
asserted
it → come → this
The short answer is that Braves manager Walt Weiss gambled – and won.
asserted
Weiss → gamble → ?
Instead of starting Sale in Game 2, Weiss elected to push him back two days and have him pitch Game 3.
asserted
him → start → Game
If Sale would have pitched on Sunday, he would have done so on four-days’ rest, which the 37-year-old hadn’t done since April.
asserted
old → pitch → April
Sale was only three days removed from converting a four-out save against the Philadelphia Phillies in a Wild Card Series.
asserted
Sale → remove → Series
Their two previous games were also bullpen games, and they were counting on a run-down group of relievers to take down Snell and stop the Dodgers from taking a two-games-to-none lead.
asserted
they → count → lead
The Dodgers are at fault for that not happening.
asserted
that → happen → fault
If their dreams of a three-peat evaporate over the next week, Game 2 will be the game on which they look back with regret.
asserted
they → evaporate → regret
The Braves didn’t win this game as much as the Dodgers lost it.
asserted
Dodgers → win → it
They had one of their aces on the mound in Blake Snell.
asserted
They → have → Snell
And Snell absolutely stunk.
asserted
Snell → stink → ?
They had Shohei Ohtani in the batter’s box with two runners on base in the third inning.
asserted
They → have → inning
And Ohtani popped up.
asserted
Ohtani → pop → ?
They started the fifth inning with Mookie Betts drawing a walk and Ohtani advancing him to second base with a ground-ball single.
asserted
Ohtani → start → single
And Will Smith, Freddie Freeman and Teoscar Hernandez failed to drive either of them in.
asserted
Smith → fail → them
The Dodgers left seven men on base.
asserted
Dodgers → leave → base
They were 0 for 8 with runners in scoring position.
asserted
They → score → position
The only runs they scored were the result of a fourth-inning home run by Freeman and a solo shot from Max Muncy in the ninth.
asserted
they → score → ninth
The offense doesn’t look right, with Ohtani out of sync and the team not being able to score unless they knock the ball over the fence.
asserted
they → look → fence
Three homers were responsible for each of the five runs they scored in their Game 1 victory.
asserted
they → score → victory
As was the case last year, the Dodgers will be counting on Yoshinobu Yamamoto to save their season.
asserted
Dodgers → count → season
When the Dodgers were behind the Toronto Blue Jays in the World Series by a three-games-to-two deficit last year, it was Yamamoto who won Game 6.
asserted
who → win → Game
When they ran out of pitchers a day later in Game 7, it was Yamamoto who pitched the final 2 ⅔ innings.
asserted
who → run → innings
Tuesday night at Truist Field, Yamamoto will pitch opposite of Sale.
asserted
Yamamoto → pitch → Sale
How Yamamoto performs could determine whether the Dodgers win the World Series – and how they are remembered.
uncertain
they → perform → Series
The Aporia
