Jordan Walker not in Cardinals lineup on Sunday

Cole looked extremely sharp in his first postseason outing since Game 5 the World Series back in 2024. The 36-year-old veteran surrendered only five hits with a third-inning solo blast by Jonathan Aranda representing the lone tally against him. He finished with five strikeouts and only issued one walk before being lifted at just 82 pitches (58 strikes) over five strong frames. He figures to get the ball for Game 4 of the best-of-five series at Yankee Stadium on Thursday.

Tucker came through with a signature moment in his Dodgers playoff debut after a calamitous regular season where he finished with a career-worst .715 OPS. The 29-year-old marquee free agent addition crushed a 408-foot no-doubter to right field off Atlanta reliever AJ Smith-Shawver to give Los Angeles a commanding 4-1 advantage in the sixth inning. He also singled and stole a base in his first postseason contest in a Dodgers uniform.

Albies took Dodgers lefty reliever Tanner Scott deep in the ninth inning to pull Atlanta within a pair of runs at the time. It was his second round-tripper of the postseason. The 29-year-old second baseman gave Atlanta a chance in the final frame, but they were unable to erase a four-run deficit in the final frame.

Hernández put Los Angeles ahead with a gargantuan 431-foot blast against Atlanta reliever Victor Mederos in the fourth inning. He finished 2-for-4 at the dish prior to being lifted for a defensive replacement. The 33-year-old continues to deliver down the stretch for the Dodgers after slumping for most of the season.

Phillips was called upon to record the final out of the ninth inning with Los Angeles leading by a pair of runs after Tanner Scott served up a two-run homer to Ozzie Albies before managing to record a pair of outs. He issued a walk to Mauricio Dubón before coaxing a game-ending ground out from Austin Riley.

Skubal offered a reminder of why he was the most coveted pitcher available at the trade deadline, delivering a dominant performance in his Los Angeles playoff debut. The 29-year-old impending free agent retired 15 consecutive batters following a leadoff single to Drake Baldwin, carrying a shutout into the sixth inning before Sean Murphy connected for a solo homer that represented the lone run against him. He threw 94 pitches (64 strikes) and allowed just four baserunners over six impressive frames. He figures to get the ball for a decisive Game 5 of the best-of-five series if it gets that far.

Dodd scattered a pair of hits over three nearly flawless frames, needing just 47 pitches to record nine outs. The 28-year-old lefty gave Atlanta a chance in the early stages of the contest, but they were unable to manufacture enough offense against Tarik Skubal and the Los Angeles bullpen to avoid a series-opening defeat. He figures to be an option for the Braves as an opener for the remainder of the series.

Salas earns his second consecutive nod behind the plate as the Padres kick off a best-of-five matchup against a powerhouse Brewers squad. The 20-year-old prodigy, who is a revelation from a defensive standpoint, has gone 1-for-2 with an RBI in the postseason. Here’s the full lineup: Fernando Tatis Jr. (RF), Dustin Harris (LF), Manny Machado (3B), Ty France (1B), Jackson Merrill (CF), Xander Bogaerts (SS), Salas (C), Luis Campusano (DH) and Jake Cronenworth (2B).

Venable declined to name a Game 2 starter, but went out of his way to state that Burke will play a large role. The 26-year-old struck out eight and allowed three solo homers over four innings in his playoff debut against the Astros earlier this week. It’s possible Chicago decides to throw out an opener ahead of Burke, but he’s going to play a large role in their Game 2 showdown on Monday.

The biggest development here is Lara getting the nod in right field with Jake Bauers at the cold corner over Andrew Vaughn. It doesn’t come as a surprise to see Bauers in the lineup, but the widely-held assumption was that he would be their primary right fielder in the postseason. It’s basically Lara getting the nod over Andrew Vaughn to face Padres lefty Robbie Ray. Here’s the full lineup: Jackson Chourio (LF), Brice Turang (2B), William Contreras (C), Bauers (1B), Christian Yelich (DH), Cooper Pratt (SS), Lara (RF), Garrett Mitchell (CF) and Joey Ortiz.