Dodgers Drop Shohei Ohtani, Make Massive Lineup Changes for NLDS Game 3 vs Braves

The Los Angeles Dodgers and Atlanta Braves split the first two games of the National League Division Series.

Now, the series is in Atlanta, where the Dodgers need to win at least one game to avoid a disappointing early exit.

"We've got our work cut out," Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said after Game 2. "Now it's a three-game series."

Roberts has decided to make massive lineup changes for Game 3 in hopes of sparking the team's struggling offense.

The biggest one was dropping Shohei Ohtani down to fifth in the batting order.

Dodgers Lineup for NLDS Game 3

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

Ohtani is hitting fifth, by far the lowest in his Dodgers career. Additionally, Rojas and Enrique Hernandez are starting, while Tommy Edman and Max Muncy are out.

Braves Lineup for NLDS Game 3 vs Dodgers

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

Dodgers vs Braves Pitching Matchup on Tuesday

It's a battle of aces in Game 3 as right-handed pitcher Yoshinobu Yamamoto is taking the mound against left-hander Chris Sale.

Yamamoto is making his 2026 postseason debut after pitching in a simulated game during the team's five-day layoff. The Dodgers wanted to keep him on his once-a-week schedule, while also lining him up better for the NL Championship Series, assuming they get there.

"It's more about just knowing that they're all going to pitch this series," Roberts said earlier this week of the Dodgers' four aces in the rotation. "You can put those three or four guys in a hat and kind of make a decision, but I think that with that, I think just kind of looking out potentially, that just sets up the rotation and Yamamoto better looking forward."

Yamamoto was the Dodgers' best pitcher all year long, going 14-9 with a 2.53 ERA and 182 strikeouts over 185 innings. He faced the Braves on Aug. 27, allowing one run over 6.1 innings with eight strikeouts.

As for Sale, he pitched twice in the wild-card series against the Philadelphia Phillies, allowing three runs across 6.1 innings in Game 1 and recording the final four outs in Game 3.

The Braves elected not to start him on short rest in Game 2, and the move panned out.

Now, Atlanta has its best starting pitcher in a crucial Game 3. He went 14-9 with a 2.16 ERA and 200 strikeouts over 162.2 innings this season.

Sale pitched against Yamamoto on Aug. 27, where he had one of the best games of his career, allowing five hits over nine shutout innings with 11 strikeouts.

He also faced the Dodgers on May 8, allowing two earned runs over seven innings with seven strikeouts.

Sale isn't thinking about his past performances, though.

"Baseball is a crazy game where anything can change on a given day. You want to have confidence not only in yourself but in your team. What you did yesterday means nothing in this game for today or tomorrow," Sale said. "This is playoff baseball. That's a helluva team across the way. I'm just preparing for another grind. I'm preparing for another battle and just got to go leave it all on the field.

"However it shakes out, that's how it shakes out."

How to Watch Dodgers vs Braves NLDS Game 3 on Tuesday

First pitch for Los Angeles Dodgers vs. Atlanta Braves NLDS Game 3 on Tuesday, Oct. 6 is 3 p.m. PT/6 p.m. ET.

The game will be broadcast on FOX Sports 1.

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