Playoff implications drive Dodgers-Braves series

The Los Angeles Dodgers and Atlanta Braves open a three-game series at Truist Park on Tuesday evening, with first pitch scheduled for 6:15 p.m. CT on TBS, as reported by al.com. Both teams enter the matchup as first-place division leaders, but the series carries particular weight for postseason positioning.

Under the current MLB postseason format, the top two division winners in each league receive a first-round bye, a significant advantage that keeps the race for seeding close. As CBS Sports notes, the Dodgers and Braves occupy the second and third spots among National League division leaders in the bye standings, trailing the Milwaukee Brewers, who sit at 81-50. The Dodgers are 80-51, and the Braves are 76-55, giving the Dodgers a four-game cushion over Atlanta for the second bye.

Both teams arrive in contrasting form

The Dodgers enter the series on a six-game winning streak, a stretch capped by a 4-0 shutout of the Pittsburgh Pirates, as detailed by individually. The Braves, meanwhile, come off a 4-2 victory over the Milwaukee Brewers but have lost three consecutive series, a point emphasized by CBS Sports. Atlanta's record in August stands at 11-10, while the Phillies have gone .612 in the same period, putting pressure on the Braves to maintain their 3.5-game lead in the NL East.

CBS Sports highlights that the Braves and Phillies will face each other seven times in 10 days in early September, a stretch that could determine the division title. A SportsLine projection gives the Braves an 81.1% chance of winning the NL East, but their recent struggles suggest the race is far from settled.

Key players in the spotlight

The series features two of the season's most productive hitters. Matt Olson leads the Braves with 36 home runs and 77 RBI, although he has been in a slump, hitting 3 for 24 over his last six games, according to al.com. For the Dodgers, Shohei Ohtani paces the team with 30 home runs and 80 RBI. Ohtani has not pitched since July 3, owing to knee inflammation and a biceps issue, but he continues serving as the Dodgers' regular designated hitter. Dodgers manager Dave Roberts provided an update: Ohtani is scheduled to throw a bullpen session during the series, as reported by CBS Sports.

Pitching matchups feature returns

Both clubs are also managing rotation rotations. Glasnow returns from back spasms that have kept him out since early May, having completed a dominant four-start rehabilitation assignment, per CBS Sports. For the Braves, Smith-Shawver is expected to make his third start in his comeback from Tommy John surgery, the outlet notes.

Tiebreaker dynamics at play

The series carries broader implications beyond the standings themselves. CBS Sports explains that Atlanta leads the season series with the Dodgers 2-1, and since MLB no longer uses tiebreaker games, the first criterion is head-to-head record. If the Braves win at least two of three, they (the initial) would give hold the bye-tiebreaker edge over Los Angeles. The second tiebreaker is its division record; the Dodgers are 26-17 against the NL West, and the Braves are 27-13 against the NL East.

If the series breaks in the Dodgers' favor, that division record becomes the subsequent separator.

How to watch

Fans can watch the games on TBS, and all games in the series can be streamed on fubo, per CBS Sports. al.com notes that free options through DIRECTV's trial and Sling's monthly plans are also available, though it does not specify which games carry the same streaming rights.

The series begins will be on Tuesday and continues through Thursday, with the Dodgers seeking to extend a winning streak and the Braves aiming to arrest their slide.