What happened: Murphy's solo shot trimmed Los Angeles' edge to 2-1 in the NLCS opener. It was Atlanta's first run against Tarik Skubal after the Dodgers took early control.

Why it matters: The homer tightened a one-run postseason game and pushed every later pitching decision into higher leverage. It also put immediate pressure on Skubal's Game 1 assignment in a series Los Angeles mapped around its front-end starters.

What to watch: The next stretch will show whether Atlanta can turn the swing into a bigger inning or whether Los Angeles can hand a lead to its late relievers.