The Los Angeles Dodgers moved within one victory of advancing in the National League Division Series with a 3-1 win over the Atlanta Braves on Tuesday, taking a 2-1 lead in the best-of-five series.

Yoshinobu Yamamoto delivered another dominant postseason performance, Kiké Hernández provided the biggest swing of the night, and Edwin Díaz finished the job in the ninth.

However, Shohei Ohtani’s struggles continued despite manager Dave Roberts changing his spot in the lineup.

Yamamoto allowed one run on four hits with 10 strikeouts and a walk in seven innings, winning a much-anticipated matchup against Braves ace Chris Sale.

Sale gave up three runs on seven hits (two home runs) with seven strikeouts and no walks in five innings.

Hernández gave Yamamoto the offensive support he needed with a two-run home run as the Dodgers built a lead they would never surrender.

Yamamoto, the MVP of the 2025 World Series against the Toronto Blue Jays, improved to 8-1 with a 2.14 ERA and 0.83 WHIP in 63 innings over 11 career postseason appearances (10 starts).

Yamamoto is now 33-0 when he receives three or more runs of support.

Los Angeles can close out the series Wednesday in Game 4. A victory would move the Dodgers another step closer to their attempt to become the first National League team to win three consecutive World Series.

Díaz ultimately did his job, throwing a scoreless ninth inning and recording the save.

It was his first save since Aug. 14, when he closed out a 3-1 home victory against the Milwaukee Brewers.

However, it was hardly a clean ninth inning.

Díaz immediately put himself in a difficult position by surrendering a leadoff double to Ozzie Albies with nobody out.

While getting through the inning without allowing a run was a positive, putting the potential tying run into scoring position with nobody out created unnecessary pressure in a two-run game.

Díaz escaped the jam and secured the victory, but the Dodgers would prefer a less stressful ninth inning from their closer with the stakes continuing to increase.

Roberts made a significant lineup adjustment before Game 3, moving Ohtani down to the No. 5 spot because of his history against Sale.

Ohtani entered the game 3-for-15 in his career against the left-hander. He had also gone 0-for-4 with two strikeouts against Sale when the Dodgers lost 1-0 in Atlanta on Aug. 26.

Roberts correctly anticipated that Ohtani could receive opportunities with runners on base despite hitting lower in the lineup.

With runners on first and second in the first inning, Sale struck out Ohtani to end the threat.

Two runners were on base again when Ohtani came to the plate in the third. He reached on catcher’s interference by Drake Baldwin, loading the bases, but Miguel Rojas followed with a flyball to right field to end the inning.

Ohtani walked to begin the eighth against Brent Suter, Atlanta’s fourth pitcher.

He finished 0-for-2 with a strikeout and a walk.

Ohtani is now 12-for-75 (.160) with one home run, three RBIs and a .537 OPS over his last 19 games.

The Dodgers won Game 3 despite another quiet night from their designated hitter, but his prolonged struggles remain the ugliest part of an otherwise important postseason victory.