The Atlanta Braves host the Los Angeles Dodgers at Truist Park on Wednesday, August 26 at 7:15 PM ET in a headlining regular season clash. AJ Smith-Shawver takes the mound for Atlanta against Dodgers right-hander Roki Sasaki in a pitching matchup that gives this game immediate intrigue. With Ronald Acuña Jr. back in the two-hole and a loaded Los Angeles lineup anchored by Shohei Ohtani and Freddie Freeman, this is the kind of mid-week game that has postseason implications written all over it.

Pitching Matchup: AJ Smith-Shawver vs. Roki Sasaki

Smith-Shawver gets the ball for Atlanta in what is a significant start for the young right-hander. The Braves will need him to control the strike zone and keep the Dodgers' top of the order — Ohtani, Freeman, and Mookie Betts — from doing early damage. Los Angeles counters with Sasaki, the Japanese import who brings electric stuff and the ability to put hitters away with his split-finger fastball. Neither pitcher's season stats are available heading into this one, but the names alone command attention on both sides.

Atlanta Braves Starting Lineup

• 1. Drake Baldwin — DH
• 2. Ronald Acuña Jr. — RF
• 3. Matt Olson — 1B
• 4. Mauricio Dubón — SS
• 5. Michael Harris II — CF
• 6. Ozzie Albies — 2B
• 7. Mike Yastrzemski — LF
• 8. Austin Riley — 3B
• 9. Sean Murphy — C

Los Angeles Dodgers Starting Lineup

• 1. Shohei Ohtani — DH
• 2. Freddie Freeman — 1B
• 3. Mookie Betts — SS
• 4. Max Muncy — 3B
• 5. Tommy Edman — 2B
• 6. Kyle Tucker — RF
• 7. Alek Thomas — CF
• 8. Teoscar Hernández — LF
• 9. Hunter Feduccia — C

Keys to Watch for the Braves

• Acuña Jr. sets the table: Ronald Acuña Jr. hitting second means Atlanta wants him on base early and often. If he can get going against Sasaki, it creates run-scoring opportunities for Olson and the middle of the order.
• Olson vs. Sasaki: Matt Olson batting third gives Atlanta its most dangerous left-handed power threat directly behind Acuña. How Sasaki attacks Olson — and whether Olson makes him pay — could define the offensive tone early.
• Smith-Shawver and the Ohtani-Freeman combo: Getting through the top of the Dodgers lineup without damage is the single biggest challenge for the Braves starter. Ohtani leading off for Los Angeles is a threat from pitch one.
• Dubón in the cleanup spot: Mauricio Dubón batting fourth is a lineup construction worth watching. The Braves are asking him to provide run-production in a high-leverage spot, which reflects how Atlanta is currently building around its available personnel.

Prediction

This one shapes up as a tight, low-scoring game given the caliber of pitching on both sides. The Dodgers bring a genuinely stacked lineup — Ohtani, Freeman, Betts, and Tucker is a murderer's row that can punish any mistake. But Truist Park will be loud on a Wednesday night with this kind of opponent in town, and the Braves have the offensive firepower to make Sasaki work deep into counts. Give the slight edge to Los Angeles on paper, but expect Atlanta to make it a game late. Braves 4, Dodgers 3.

Coverage begins at 7:15 PM ET. Catch the game on BravesVision or MLB Network, or listen on 680 AM/93.7 FM The Fan.