Los Angeles @ Atlanta preview

Last Meeting ( Oct 7, 2018 ) LA Dodgers 5, Atlanta 6

Maybe the Atlanta Braves just needed to get home to find their footing in the National League Division Series, as they find themselves still alive and hosting the Los Angeles Dodgers for Game 4 on Monday, less than 24 hours after staving off elimination with a 6-5 victory at SunTrust Park. Atlanta did not score a run in two losses at Los Angeles but rode a grand slam by Ronald Acuña Jr. and Freddie Freeman's solo homer to cut the Dodgers' best-of-five series lead to 2-1.

Acuña, the favorite to be the NL Rookie of the Year, became the youngest player in postseason history to belt a grand slam at 20 years, 293 days old and has recorded three of the Braves' 15 hits in the series. Los Angeles, trying to reach the NL Championship Series for the third consecutive year, received 15 scoreless innings from its starters in the first two games before rookie Walter Buehler issued a bases-loaded walk to counterpart Sean Newcomb in the second inning of Game 3 and served up Acuña’s blast that put the Braves ahead 5-0. Los Angeles battled back to tie it thanks to homers by Chris Taylor and Max Muncy, giving the team seven blasts in the series. Freeman’s sixth-inning leadoff shot for Atlanta gave him hits in seven of his eight career postseason contests.

TV: 4:30 p.m. ET, Fox Sports 1

PITCHING MATCHUP: Dodgers RH Rich Hill (2018: 11-5, 3.66 ERA) vs. Braves RH Mike Foltynewicz (0-1, 18.00)

Hill ended the regular season with a flourish, winning all five of his turns in September while posting a 3.90 ERA and a .174 opponents batting average. The 38-year-old made five starts in last year’s playoffs for the Dodgers, allowing five earned runs and 13 hits in 17 2/3 innings. Hill scattered three hits over seven scoreless frames en route to victory on July 26 in his only appearance against Atlanta this season.

Foltynewicz fizzled in his postseason debut in the series opener as he surrendered four runs and three hits - including homers by Joc Peterson and Muncy - in just two innings. The 27-year-old native of Illinois registered five strikeouts but issued three walks and hit a batter. Foltynewicz finished the regular season 13-10 with a 2.85 ERA and 202 strikeouts in 183 innings while earning his first career All-Star appearance.

WALK-OFFS

1. Atlanta RF Nick Markakis went 0-for-3 in Game 3 and is just 1-for-10 in the series.

2. Muncy has recorded two hits - both homers - in the series while driving in four runs.

3. A victory by Atlanta will force a decisive Game 5 in Los Angeles on Wednesday.

PREDICTION: Braves 5, Dodgers 4