Austin Riley led off the ninth inning with a tiebreaking homer that sparked a four-run outburst, and the Atlanta Braves opened their first National League Championship Series since 2001 with a 5-1 win over the Los Angeles Dodgers on Monday night.

Joe Morgan, the Hall of Fame second baseman who became the sparkplug of the Big Red Machine and the prototype for baseball's artificial turf era, has died. He was 77.

Freddie Freeman has come a long way this year.

Nicknamed "The Chairman of the Board," Whitey Ford was a wily and reliable left-hander who spent his entire MLB career with the Yankees, winning 236 games and losing just 106.

Atlanta had lost eight straight National Division Series, including each of the past two seasons, before outscoring the Marlins 18-5, including 11-0 in the final two games.

The Atlanta Braves have pitched three shutouts in four games during this year's playoffs, just the third time in MLB postseason history to accomplish such a feat.

Ronald Acuna Jr. made history with a leadoff home run to start things off for the Atlanta Braves in their NL Division Series opener against Miami.

The Miami Marlins have been the biggest surprise of the postseason so far.

There will be no off days for the Atlanta Braves — or any team — during the first three rounds of the MLB playoffs this year.

Bob Gibson's death came on the 52nd anniversary of perhaps his most overpowering performance, when he struck out 17 batters in Game 1 of the 1968 World Series.

Ian Anderson dazzled in another shutout performance for Atlanta, and the Braves won a playoff series for the first time in almost two decades by sweeping the light-hitting Cincinnati Reds.

The Braves, three-time reigning National League East Division champs, won a postseason series opener for the first time since a 2001 NL Division Series and can wrap up the best-of-three series Thursday.

The Atlanta Braves have established themselves again as rulers of the National League's East Division, but they have lost a record-tying 10 consecutive postseason appearances since their most recent series win in 2001.

Mookie Betts, meet Devin Williams and his devastating changeup. Aaron Judge, take a closer look at a much improved Shane Bieber. Fernando Tatis Jr., say hello to Jack Flaherty.

Atlanta hosts Boston again Sunday, the final day of MLB's abbreviated 60-game schedule for 2020.

Freddie Freeman hit a two-run homer to lead off the bottom of the 11th inning for the Atlanta Braves, adding to his case for National League MVP.

The Atlanta Braves, who had won four straight games, were denied a chance to clinch the National League's No. 2 seed in the playoffs.

Max Fried sat glumly in the Atlanta Braves' dugout after the first inning, pondering another potential blow to the team's beleaguered rotation with the start of the postseason just a week away.

Bryse Wilson pitched five scoreless innings, Marcell Ozuna drove in five runs with four hits that included two homers and the Atlanta Braves clinched their third straight NL East title by beating the Miami Marlins 11-1 on Tuesday night.

At the start, it looked like a slugfest.

For the second straight Sunday, the Atlanta Braves started a new week with Kyle Wright on the mound against a National League East foe.

Atlanta's lead in the National League East Division standings over the second-place Miami Marlins dropped to 2 1/2 games. The Braves have eight games remaining, the Marlins nine.

With their eyes on a third consecutive division title, the power-packed Atlanta Braves got their top starter back on the mound and made it an awfully easy night for him.