The Dodgers are back in the NLDS, and once again Los Angeles sits at the center of the baseball universe. As the National League's top seed, the Dodgers open the best-of-five Division Series at home. The early schedule points to one - possibly two - night games at Dodger Stadium to kick things off.
That "1, maybe 2" framing is the story of the week for Dodgers fans. It comes down to how MLB and its broadcast partners stagger the October windows, and whether Los Angeles lands the prime-time slot or gets bumped into an earlier start for Game 2. After a 162-game grind that saw the Dodgers lock up the NL's best record, the reward is simple: home-field advantage, the Chavez Ravine crowd, and a chance to punch a ticket to the NLCS on their own turf.
Here's what the early NLDS schedule means for the Dodgers, their fans, and the October atmosphere in Chavez Ravine. And yes, the Dodgers NLDS schedule begins with 1, maybe 2 night games in Los Angeles - that headline is the whole week in a nutshell.
Why the Dodgers Start at Home
Winning the NL's best record earns the Dodgers home-field advantage through the Division Series. Games 1 and 2 - and a decisive Game 5, if needed - are played at Dodger Stadium. That's the reward for six months of regular-season dominance, and it matters in October.
The format is best-of-five: the higher seed hosts Games 1, 2, and 5, while the lower seed hosts Games 3 and 4. For the Dodgers, that means the series opens with back-to-back nights in Los Angeles before shifting to the opponent's ballpark for the middle games. The Wild Card Series winner arrives in LA already taxed - a cross-country flight, a used-up bullpen, and a hostile crowd waiting. That's exactly the edge the top seed is supposed to get.
📊 Games 1, 2, and 5 of the NLDS are all played at Dodger Stadium - the payoff for owning the National League's best record.
| Game | Location | Host |
|---|---|---|
| Game 1 | Dodger Stadium | Dodgers |
| Game 2 | Dodger Stadium | Dodgers |
| Game 3 | Opponent's ballpark | Opponent |
| Game 4* | Opponent's ballpark | Opponent |
| Game 5* | Dodger Stadium | Dodgers |
If necessary. The higher seed hosts Games 1, 2, and 5 under the current MLB postseason format.
The Night-Game Math
The "1, maybe 2 night games" headline is all about television windows. When multiple playoff series run simultaneously, MLB and its broadcast partners split games across afternoon and evening slots to avoid overlap.
For Dodger Stadium, NLDS games typically start around 5:08 p.m. or 6:08 p.m. PT - prime time on the East Coast and a classic Southern California evening window. When LA gets the marquee slot, both Games 1 and 2 can land as night games. When the schedule forces an earlier start for one of them, fans may see just a single night game to open the series.
The determining factors: which broadcast partner carries the series, how many other games are alive that day, and whether the other league's series dictate the staggering. NLDS games air on Fox/FS1 or TBS depending on the year's rights rotation - and that assignment, more than anything, shapes first pitch. The official schedule is confirmed by MLB.com once the preceding round wraps, with the Dodgers' official site publishing first-pitch times shortly after.
📊 Dodger Stadium NLDS first pitches land at 5:08 p.m. or 6:08 p.m. PT - prime time on the East Coast, perfect evening weather in LA.
