Yamamoto fans 10 as Hernández, Freeman lift Dodgers to 3-1 Game 3 win

Yoshinobu Yamamoto struck out 10 over seven innings, and fourth-inning home runs by Kiké Hernández and Freddie Freeman carried the Dodgers past the Braves 3-1 on Tuesday. Los Angeles leads the National League Division Series 2-1 and can finish the best-of-five matchup Wednesday in Atlanta.

Yamamoto allowed four hits, one run and one walk on 98 pitches. His 10 strikeouts were a postseason career high, MLB reported. He kept a small lead intact after Atlanta loaded the bases in the fifth, then retired the side in each of his final two innings.

The Dodgers scored all three runs against Chris Sale in one inning. Andy Pages opened the fourth with a single. After Kyle Tucker lined out, Hernández homered to left field for a 2-0 lead. Mookie Betts grounded out before Freeman drove a solo homer to right-center, making it 3-0.

MLB’s official Game 3 highlights cover Tuesday’s matchup at Truist Park.

Freeman’s homer followed a third-inning chance that Mauricio Dubón had erased with a catch at the left-field wall. Los Angeles still loaded the bases that inning after Will Smith singled and Shohei Ohtani reached on catcher interference, but Miguel Rojas lined out to leave the game scoreless. The fourth-inning power supplied the runs those earlier opportunities had not produced.

Atlanta’s strongest answer came in the fifth. Dubón and Lane Thomas singled, and Austin Riley popped out before Rowdy Tellez walked to load the bases. Drake Baldwin’s groundout to first scored Dubón and moved the other runners into scoring position. Ronald Acuña Jr. then grounded out to Rojas at second, leaving the Dodgers ahead 3-1.

That inning was the only stretch in which Atlanta scored against Yamamoto. The right-hander worked through the sixth and seventh without another baserunner, handing a two-run lead to Tanner Scott. Scott struck out two in a hitless eighth, although Acuña reached on a two-out walk.

Edwin Díaz faced an immediate test in the ninth when Ozzie Albies doubled to center. Michael Harris II’s groundout moved Albies to third. Díaz then got Dubón to fly out in foul territory and Mike Yastrzemski to ground out, completing the save without allowing the tying run to reach base.

Sale gave up seven hits and three runs in five innings, striking out seven without a walk. Atlanta’s relievers held Los Angeles scoreless over the final four innings. The Dodgers finished with eight hits and no errors; the Braves had five hits and two errors.

Los Angeles also has an availability issue to monitor. Rojas left during an eighth-inning plate appearance with low back pain, the team announced. Tommy Edman completed the at-bat and took over at second base. The official report did not establish his status for Game 4, scheduled Wednesday at 6 p.m. Eastern.