A severe early October heat wave pushed game-time temperatures to 100 degrees Fahrenheit at Dodger Stadium on Saturday afternoon.
The Los Angeles Dodgers opened the National League Division Series against the Atlanta Braves under one of the hottest postseason conditions in venue history.
The reading fell just shy of the 103-degree record set during the 2017 World Series.
Temperatures soared roughly 20 degrees above the typical seasonal average for Southern California.
Braves Lean on Atlanta Heat Experience
Atlanta players practiced outdoors before the game while the host team stayed inside its facilities.
Braves manager Walt Weiss downplayed the impact of the extreme weather.
"Remember, we're from Atlanta," Weiss said. "It's not that big of a factor."
Center fielder Lane Thomas echoed his manager's view before first pitch.
"I feel like this is a little cooler 98 than Atlanta," Thomas said.
Traveling supporters in the exposed grandstands shared similar sentiments.
"It's hot, but it's not bad," said Helen Greene, a Braves fan from Valdosta, Georgia. "In Atlanta, my hair would have been up by now."
Greene added that she planned to have a beer later as she and her husband managed the weather.
Local fans used personal misting devices and promotional items for shade across sparse early-arriving crowds.
Get-in ticket prices on secondary markets dropped between $56 and $61.
"We play sports and we know how it feels to be in the heat and we know how to beat the heat, too," said Christopher Hernández, a Dodgers fan from Long Beach.
"It's not as bad as people think it is."
Hydration and Safety Adjustments
Team management focused on player safety adjustments, particularly for starting pitchers and catchers facing extended exertion in full gear.
"It's the same conditions for both teams," said Dodgers manager Dave Roberts, "and you've got to just stay hydrated and manage it."
Relief pitcher Brent Suter, an environmental science graduate, highlighted the unusual nature of the prolonged weather pattern.
"In the back of my mind, I'm like 100 degrees in October in L. A.
, that's definitely not normal," Suter said. "Obviously super El Niño is a big thing to do with that.
It's going to be a challenge for both sides to stay hydrated, especially the position players."
Suter noted the team's ongoing physical preparations to handle the climate.
"Just making sure everyone is hydrated and staying loose and getting electrolytes in us," Suter said.
Stadium administrators relaxed beverage policies to permit sealed non-alcoholic drinks and reusable containers.
Medical crews monitored spectator areas for heat-related illness throughout the event.
