The Los Angeles Dodgers are heading to Atlanta with their home-field advantage gone. A 3-2 loss in Game 2 of the National League Division Series on Sunday night evened the series at one game apiece and handed the Braves exactly the split they were looking for.
The Dodgers failed to deliver a single hit in eight chances with runners in scoring position over the two home games. The offense that was supposed to carry them through October has yet to find a consistent rhythm.
After the loss, one of the team’s veteran leaders offered a straightforward assessment of where things stand.
Betts Sets the Tone for Atlanta
Mookie Betts did not sugarcoat the challenge but refused to frame the situation as a crisis.
“It’s just not gonna be easy,” Betts said. “But I mean we knew that from the beginning… We know it’s gonna be a tough matchup, no matter who’s on the mound.”
The comment reflected the mentality of a player who has been through deep October runs before. Betts helped the Dodgers win titles in 2024 and 2025. He knows what the grind looks like, and he knows that a tied series heading into a road game is far from a death sentence.
Still, there was no dodging what happened Sunday. The Dodgers had their best opportunity in the fifth inning with two runners on and nobody out but came away empty. Six different Braves relievers held the lineup in check for the majority of the night.
Betts’ Game 2 Showed the Problem
Betts finished 0-for-2 with a pair of walks in Game 2. He reached base, drew pitches, and did his part to set the table from the leadoff spot. The production behind him did not follow.
The Dodgers collected just four hits beyond Freddie Freeman‘s game-tying home run in the fourth. Max Muncy added a solo shot in the ninth to pull within a run, but by then the damage had been done.
Through two games, the pattern is clear. When the lineup cannot string hits together, it relies on the long ball. That approach has a ceiling, and the Dodgers hit it Sunday.
Final Word for the Dodgers
Chris Sale is waiting in Atlanta. The Braves ace held the Dodgers scoreless when the two teams met in the regular season and will have the benefit of additional rest heading into Game 3 on Tuesday.
Betts’ message was simple. This was never going to be easy. The series is tied, the road gets harder, and the Dodgers need their lineup to find a way beyond home runs.
Two games in, that is the one thing they have not figured out.
Dodgers’ Mookie Betts Makes Feelings Clear After Loss to Braves