Braves chase Blake Snell early, ride masterful bullpen game to Game 2 win, 1-1 NLDS tie with Dodgers

Blake Snell was the only starting pitcher to take the mound in Game 2 of the National League Division Series between the Atlanta Braves and Los Angeles Dodgers.But he wasn't the best pitcher on Sunday at Dodger Stadium.The Braves chased Snell after just 3 2/3 innings and rode a masterful bullpen game featuring six pitchers to a 3-2 Game 2 victory. With the win, Atlanta tied the best-of-five series 1-1 and seized home-field advantage from the reigning two-time World Series champions.It adds up to a series-shifting outcome, with Braves ace Chris Sale lined up to take the mound for Game 3 on Tuesday, when the series moves to Atlanta for two games.Kerr, Fuentes stymie Dodgers' bats to lead bullpen effortRay Kerr, serving as an opener for the second time this postseason, delivered again with 2 2/3 scoreless innings that featured four strikeouts, including two in a 1-2-3 first.Kerr Mode 🔥#LetItFly pic.twitter.com/hX40lbSuCd— Atlanta Braves (@Braves) October 5, 2026 From there, Grant Holmes, Dylan Lee, Robert Suarez, Didier Fuentes and closer Raisel Iglesias combined to limit the Dodgers to two runs. Fuentes did the yeoman's work with three perfect innings in the sixth, seventh and eighth. He hadn't pitched more than two innings since May. But after he retired nine straight batters, Braves manager Walt Weiss trusted him to close the game. Fuentes came close to delivering a fourth perfect frame, but Max Muncy spoiled the party with a two-out solo home run that cut Atlanta's lead to 3-2 in the ninth. LA's other run had come on a Freddie Freeman solo homer in the fourth.Mad Max! pic.twitter.com/UEDip1zwZi— Los Angeles Dodgers (@Dodgers) October 5, 2026 Muncy's ninth-inning home run summoned Iglesias, who came in to record the final out of the game and ensure that Atlanta's bullpen heroics didn't go to waste. Snell didn't have control from the start Snell, meanwhile, didn't make it out of the fourth inning, and the Dodgers taxed their own bullpen while using more pitchers than Atlanta. In total, seven pitchers took the mound for Los Angeles on Sunday. They yielded three runs, enough for Atlanta to secure the win.It was clear from the first inning that Snell didn't have his Cy Young stuff. He issued two walks and loaded the bases in the top of the first and was fortunate to get out of that frame with a single run surrendered on an infield hit by Mauricio Dubón.When Snell issued two more walks in the fourth, his night was done. Later, Dodgers manager Dave Roberts spoke candidly with the FS1 broadcast about his decision to pull Snell."He just wasn't sharp, obviously," Roberts said. "He was fighting himself all game. You can see the fastball was good as far as life, velocity. But he didn't have command of that. The changeup, a pitch that he loves to go to, didn't have any feel for that. The slider, same thing."I think just tonight, he was just by himself. Obviously, the pitch count got up, and I just thought, that spot, we've gotta kinda limit the damage."When his night was done, Snell had surrendered 3 hits, 5 walks and 1 earned run with 5 strikeouts on 90 pitches in 3 2/3 innings.From there, Braves hitters continued to make Dodgers pitchers work. In total, seven pitchers needed 182 pitches to get through a game that featured more Atlanta walks (eight) than hits (six). Doug Baldwin, Atlanta’s leadoff hitter, had three free passes. Speaking of those hits, Michael Harris II came up big with a two-out triple in the fifth and made it home on a Kris Bubic wild pitch.Back in front!#LetItFly pic.twitter.com/NVemHJ0ULv— Atlanta Braves (@Braves) October 5, 2026 Harris delivered again in the seventh with an RBI double that scored Matt Olson for an insurance run that Atlanta ended up needing.Be like Mike!#LetItFly pic.twitter.com/HisjD2ecdF— Atlanta Braves (@Braves) October 5, 2026 Weiss' gamble pays offThe bullpen game was the second straight for the Braves, who lost Saturday's series opener 5-3. Weiss drew criticism for going with another bullpen game Sunday, when Sale could have pitched. The decision paid off, and now Sale will take the mound Tuesday with two extra days of rest and the chance to put the Braves ahead in this series.