Brewers and Dodgers hold serve in NLDS openers: NL Central and West roundup

The National League’s big guns took care of business Sunday. The Milwaukee Brewers and Los Angeles Dodgers, who finished at 103-59 and 100-62 respectively, both came away with postseason wins, even if Milwaukee’s ballpark roof and Atlanta’s pitching plans grabbed as many headlines as the final scores.

Brewers–Padres: roof controversy and an open-roof response

Milwaukee’s 3-2 victory over the San Diego Padres was already significant in the context of the Division Series, given that the Brewers enter October with MLB’s best record for a second straight year (103-59) and are being pushed to embrace a true favourite’s mindset. An earlier analysis highlighted how their rediscovered power at the plate helped swing the opener in their favour.

But it was the American Family Field roof that became the central talking point. In the ninth inning, Padres hitter Ty France saw a potential long drive strike a roof cable, turning into a contentious out in San Diego’s 3-2 loss. The incident led the Brewers to confirm that Game 2 of the NLDS against the Padres will be played with the roof open, in an effort to avoid another batted ball disappearing into the structure and altering a game’s late drama.

All of this unfolds while the Padres’ bullpen — billed as one of their main strengths in pre-series analysis — is under scrutiny to keep pace with a Brewers team urged to act like a “final boss” rather than an underdog after back-to-back best-in-baseball seasons.

Dodgers–Braves: Los Angeles wins as Atlanta leans on the bullpen again

Out West, the Los Angeles Dodgers opened their Division Series with a 5-3 win over the Atlanta Braves. With a 100-62 regular-season mark, the Dodgers used home field to grab early control of the matchup, while Atlanta continued to chart an unconventional course on the mound.

The Braves confirmed that Chris Sale will not start NLDS Game 2, instead lining up yet another bullpen game. How Atlanta manages Sale’s workload and leans on its relief corps had already been flagged as one of the central questions heading into the Division Series. As the Braves juggle their pitching plan, the Dodgers are free to capitalize on the stability that comes with a 100-win roster and an early series lead.

Elsewhere in the NL Central and West, no other clubs were in action, but the landscape is clear: the Brewers (103-59), Padres (91-71) and Dodgers (100-62) now carry their divisions’ hopes into October.