Blake Snell's sluggish Game 2 start was worst-case scenario for Dodgers

Snell walked Matt Olson and Ozzie Albies back to back after Ronald Acuña Jr. got on base with a one-out single. The former Cy Young winner needed 27 pitches to get out of that bases-loaded jam in the first inning and limited the damage to just one run, but 90 pitches in just 3⅔ innings later, Snell was out of the game. The Dodgers went through six relievers in a 3-2 loss to Atlanta in what turned out to be a bullpen game of their own.

"He just was fighting himself with his delivery all game," Roberts said. "The fastball was really good. The change-up was good at times. I think in total didn't have fastball command, didn't have slider command, and the change-up wasn't there. He was pulling it. ... He just wasn't sharp tonight."

ALDS Game 1: Cleveland Guardians outfielder Angel Martínez takes the field before the game. (Ken Blaze, IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect) ALDS Game 1 : Players line up for the anthem and flyovers in Cleveland. (Ken Blaze, IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect) ALDS Game 1: Cleveland Guardians starter Parker Messick reacts after a strikeout in the first inning. (Ken Blaze, IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect) ALDS Game 1 Munetaka Murakami watches his home run in the fourth inning. (Ken Blaze, IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect) ALDS Game 1: Miguel Vargas rounds the bases on Murakami's home run in the fourth. (Ken Blaze, IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect) ALDS Game 1: Munetaka Murakami celebrates after hitting a two-run homer in the fourth against Cleveland. (David Richard, IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect) ALDS Game 1 : Chicago White Sox pitcher Grant Taylor celebrates with catcher Kyle Teel after the final out against the Guardians. (David Richard, IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect) 1 / 7 Best action from 2026 MLB playoffs' ALDS and NLDS ALDS Game 1: Cleveland Guardians outfielder Angel Martínez takes the field before the game. (Ken Blaze, IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect) 1 / 7 Best action from 2026 MLB playoffs' ALDS and NLDS ALDS Game 1: Cleveland Guardians outfielder Angel Martínez takes the field before the game. (Ken Blaze, IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect) 2 / 7 Best action from 2026 MLB playoffs' ALDS and NLDS ALDS Game 1 : Players line up for the anthem and flyovers in Cleveland. (Ken Blaze, IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect) 3 / 7 Best action from 2026 MLB playoffs' ALDS and NLDS ALDS Game 1: Cleveland Guardians starter Parker Messick reacts after a strikeout in the first inning. (Ken Blaze, IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect) 4 / 7 Best action from 2026 MLB playoffs' ALDS and NLDS ALDS Game 1 Munetaka Murakami watches his home run in the fourth inning. (Ken Blaze, IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect) 5 / 7 Best action from 2026 MLB playoffs' ALDS and NLDS ALDS Game 1: Miguel Vargas rounds the bases on Murakami's home run in the fourth. (Ken Blaze, IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect) 6 / 7 Best action from 2026 MLB playoffs' ALDS and NLDS ALDS Game 1: Munetaka Murakami celebrates after hitting a two-run homer in the fourth against Cleveland. (David Richard, IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect) 7 / 7 Best action from 2026 MLB playoffs' ALDS and NLDS ALDS Game 1 : Chicago White Sox pitcher Grant Taylor celebrates with catcher Kyle Teel after the final out against the Guardians. (David Richard, IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect) The metrics on Snell all looked good on Sunday. His velocity across all four pitches was up as he drew 12 whiffs in his outing, leading all pitchers. Crucially, his velo didn't go down as the game went on, so there was nothing in the numbers to suggest that Snell was still dealing with the left groin tightness that pulled him after just one inning in his penultimate start of the season in Cincinnati on Sept. 16. While Roberts admitted he didn't think Snell looked sharp when he pitched four innings in San Francisco in his return to the mound on Sept. 26, he still felt good coming out of it.