Milwaukee holds a narrow edge
The Milwaukee Brewers lead their National League Division Series against the San Diego Padres after a chaotic 3-2 win in Game 1. William Contreras crushed a solo home run to put Milwaukee ahead, and Jackson Chourio tied the game earlier with a two-run shot. The Padres will send their starter to the mound on Sunday trying to level the series.
Game 2 is at American Family Field in Milwaukee. The series then shifts to Petco Park in San Diego for Game 3 on Tuesday.
Skubal delivers in the heat
In Los Angeles, the Dodgers won Game 1 against the Atlanta Braves behind Tarik Skubal. The left-hander threw six innings of one-run ball in 100-degree heat at Dodger Stadium. At one point he retired 15 batters in a row. Kyle Tucker also starred in his first playoff game for Los Angeles.
The Braves need a win on Sunday to avoid falling two games behind. Game 2 starts at 8 p.m. Eastern time in Los Angeles, and the series moves to Truist Park in Atlanta for Game 3 on Tuesday.
Ohtani's fitness in focus
Shohei Ohtani has admitted he will not be fully healthy during the playoffs. The Dodgers star remains a central figure for the lineup even so, and his condition is likely to shape how manager Dave Roberts uses him in the coming games.
Both series are best of five. With two strong pitching staffs on each side, small plays such as errors, base-running decisions and bullpen usage are likely to decide which teams reach the Championship Series.