Los Angeles continues its quest for a third straight World Series title as the Dodgers host the Atlanta Braves in the National League Division Series. The defending champions earned a first-round bye and look to extend their dominance after back-to-back championships in 2024 and 2025. Dodgers Stadium, the league's largest venue with 56,000 capacity, is selling out consistently, this year setting a franchise record with 4,034,219 total attendance.
Superstars Shohei Ohtani and Yoshinobu Yamamoto have boosted the team's Asian fanbase and Japanese tourism to the city. The play-off atmosphere has attracted a who's who of celebrities, including Rob Lowe, Brad Pitt, Will Ferrell, and Justin and Hailey Bieber. Pierre Ducrey of the IOC has observed the venue's atmosphere, noting it is the perfect home for baseball's return to the LA 2028 Olympics.
Saturday's MLB double-header begins with the Chicago White Sox visiting the Cleveland Guardians at 18:00 BST, followed by the Dodgers-Braves series live on BBC iPlayer.
Source: BBC Sport · Summarized by HeadlinesBriefing