The Atlanta Braves required a dominant bullpen performance to tie the NLDS with the Los Angeles Dodgers, and 21-year-old Didier Fuentes provided one of the most extraordinary relief performances in MLB playoff history.
That is the longest playoff streak by a reliever aged 21 or younger in MLB history.No reliever 21 or younger has had a streak that long in a regular season game since Tom.
Fuentes retired 11 straight hitters in Game 2 Sunday nite, helping Atlanta win 3-2 and square the series at one game apiece.
Quick Fact
| Detail | Information |
|---|---|
| What Happened | Didier Fuentes retired 11 consecutive Dodgers batters. |
| Teams | Atlanta Braves vs. Los Angeles Dodgers |
| Game | Game 2, 2026 NLDS |
| Final Score | Braves 3, Dodgers 2 |
| Fuentes' Line | 3⅔ innings, 1 run allowed, 3 strikeouts |
| Fastball | 99.4 mph average four seamer |
| Series Status | NLDS tied 1 to 1 |
Didier Fuentes Makes MLB Postseason History
Atlanta Braves pitcher Didier Fuentes (72) throws a fastball against the Houston Astros in the eighth inning at Daikin Park. Mandatory credit: Troy Taormina-Imagn Images, via Reuters Connect.
Fuentes entered the game in the sixth inning and instantly seemed to be everything but a rookie up against one of baseball’s most threatening lineups. He retired the first 11 Dodgers hitters and struck out three during his impressive 3⅔-inning effort.
His 11 straight hitters retired are the greatest stretch by a reliever under the age of 21 in a postseason game in MLB history.
Braves desperately needed Fuentes' performance
Atlanta Braves pitcher Didier Fuentes (72) pitches against the Philadelphia Phillies during the seventh inning of game three of the Wildcard round for the 2026 MLB Playoffs at Truist Field in Cumberland, Georgia, USA. Mandatory .
Atlanta’s choice to play a bullpen game made Fuentes’ performance even more vital. Ray Kerr pitched 2⅔ innings without allowing a run until the Braves used their bullpen. Fuentes eventually got 11 of the final 12 outs before Max Muncy hit a single homer with two outs in the ninth.
Fuentes Powers Braves to Victory
Atlanta needed Raisel Iglesias to get the final out, but Fuentes had already done the hard work.
The Braves’ 3-2 triumph was especially more amazing given that they were without starting pitcher Chris Sale, who was pushed back to Game 3. Atlanta returns home with the NLDS knotted 1-1, and Sale is scheduled to start Tuesday.
Fuentes’ remarkable performance may become one of the series’ defining moments.
