Glasnow vs. Mahle: Dodgers and Braves Collide at Truist Park
Two of the better teams in baseball meet Wednesday night in Atlanta, with the 100-win Dodgers rolling into Truist Park against a Braves club that finished at 94-68. Our model doesn't have a validated read on this one — so we're going straight to the matchup tape.
The pitching setup is legitimately interesting. Tyler Glasnow is expected to start for Los Angeles, and Tyler Mahle is set to take the mound for Atlanta — a pairing that puts two arms with real swing-and-miss potential at the center of a high-stakes October game. Neither assignment is guaranteed until first pitch, but if both take the ball, the early innings could be a genuine pitcher's duel before the bullpens get involved. That's worth watching closely.
On the offensive side, the Braves carry the heavier power threat. Matt Olson leads Atlanta with 41 home runs and 93 RBI on the season — those are the kinds of numbers that change games in a single swing, and Glasnow will need to be precise against him. Michael Harris II is hitting .294, giving the Braves a legitimate contact option at the top of the order to set the table. For the Dodgers, Shohei Ohtani's 30 home runs make him the obvious danger man, and Freddie Freeman's .288 average means Los Angeles has a disciplined, professional hitter capable of doing damage in any count. Andy Pages rounds out the Dodger threats with 85 RBI — a number that signals he's been a consistent run producer all season, not just a flash.
Here's the honest truth: our model doesn't have a validated read on this game, and manufacturing a prediction from thin air would be a disservice to anyone making a decision based on it. What we can say is that the Dodgers' six-game edge in the standings reflects a real gap in regular-season performance, and Atlanta's lineup — anchored by Olson — has the firepower to make this uncomfortable for any visiting staff. This is a game where the starting pitching matchup and early run-scoring will likely set the tone. Catch it on FS1 at 6:00 PM ET.