Blazing triple-digit heat bears down on Braves-Dodgers NLDS opener in Los Angeles

LOS ANGELES (AP) — The Los Angeles Dodgers are hosting the Atlanta Braves in what is forecast to be the hottest postseason game at Dodger Stadium since 2017.

Shade was at a premium on Saturday for Game 1 of the National League Division Series, which began at 1 p.m. local time. The game-time temperature of 100 degrees was forecast to reach 101 degrees Fahrenheit (38 degrees Celsius), about 20 degrees warmer than the average for early October.

The highest game-time temperature ever recorded at Dodger Stadium is 103 degrees (39 degrees Celsius) twice. The first time was Oct. 24, 2017, for Game 1 of the World Series against Houston. It was equaled on Sept. 8, 2024, for a regular-season game against Cleveland.

The Braves seemingly were unfazed by the blazing sun, cloudless skies and rising thermometer while taking pre-game batting practice. The two-time defending World Series champion Dodgers? They stayed inside.

“Remember, we're from Atlanta,” Braves manager Walt Weiss said before the game. “It's not that big of a factor.”

Braves center fielder Lane Thomas added, "I feel like this is a little cooler 98 than Atlanta.”

Some of their fans agreed.

“It's hot, but it's not bad,” said Helen Greene of Valdosta, Georgia, who was sitting in the sun nine rows behind the visiting dugout with her long hair arrayed under a Braves cap. “In Atlanta, my hair would have been up by now.”

Greene and her husband, Chad, were hydrating with water.

“I'll have beer later,” she said, smiling.

Tickets for Game 1 were still available early Saturday. The lowest get-in price ranged from $56 to $61, depending on the secondary marketplace.

Fans still gathered in the outfield pavilions in hopes of catching a stray ball off the Braves' bats pre-game. But other seating areas were mostly empty 90 minutes before first pitch.

Christopher Hernández of Long Beach and his girlfriend sat in the sun behind the Dodgers dugout with giveaway towels covering their heads.

“We play sports and we know how it feels to be in the heat and we know how to beat the heat, too,” he said, showing off a blue plastic bottle with a fan attached to spritz water. “It's not as bad as people think it is.”

Dodgers manager Dave Roberts planned to keep an eye on his pitchers and catcher Will Smith, who wears a mask and padding behind the plate.

“It’s the same conditions for both teams,” the manager said, “and you’ve got to just stay hydrated and manage it.”

Braves reliever Brent Suter graduated from Harvard in 2012, having majored in environmental science and public policy.

“In the back of my mind, I’m like 100 degrees in October in L.A., that’s definitely not normal,” he said before the game. “Obviously super El Niño is a big thing to do with that. It’s going to be a challenge for both sides to stay hydrated, especially the position players.”

Short heat spells in October are normal for Los Angeles, but the prolonged extreme heat warning — forecast to last at least a week — is keeping temperatures 10 to 15 degrees above normal. The average high in Los Angeles in early October is 81 degrees (27 degrees Celsius).

“Just making sure everyone is hydrated and staying loose and getting electrolytes in us,” Suter said.

Emergency medical teams were in their usual spots around the stadium, staying alert for anticipated cases of heatstroke, dehydration, excessive sweating caused by heat exposure, and the more typical drunkenness.

The Dodgers encouraged fans to wear hats and sunscreen. They were allowed to bring in non-alcoholic drinks of one liter or less in factory-sealed plastic bottles. Empty refillable water bottles were also allowed. Bottle filling stations and water fountains are scattered around the stadium.

See AP’s full MLB coverage here