The Los Angeles Dodgers are equipping their fans in every way possible to beat the heat. As the Dodgers are hosting the Atlanta Braves for NLDS Game 1, temperatures are expected to soar to 101–102°F (38–39°C) around first pitch. Thus, making an already high-stakes October showdown even more challenging for the fans in the stands. And with most of the stadium’s seating exposed to the open sky, surviving nine innings under the blazing Los Angeles sun could become a game of endurance itself.

The Dodgers have already made an unusual effort to get fans through the heat, selling tickets at record-low prices for the postseason matchup. But that is only part of their plan. As fans make their way into the stadium, crates of water bottles are lined up at the entrances, giving them one more weapon against the scorching conditions.

“The Dodgers aren’t just giving fans entering the stadium a bottled water and a rally towel, but there are crates of water bottles around Dodger Stadium with employees giving water out to whoever asks for a bottle,” LA Times’ Arash Markazi shared via X.

Staff distributed water at gates and concourses, handed out rally towels, and allowed outside beverages under one liter. And yes, everything was free!

With such offerings and tickets priced as low as $56, a live game at Dodger Stadium despite a heat wave still makes it a value-for-money proposition. Early attendance figures will test whether low prices overcome heat concerns.

“This is a conservative estimate of what those temperatures will look like later on today,”  KTLA’s Omar Lewis said. “It could definitely reach into the 100-degree range here.”

What worsened the situation was MLB’s scheduling logic that locked the Dodgers into a 1:00 PM PT start time to prevent broadcast overlap with other series. Thus, an early afternoon slot forced fans to sit directly in the sun during the hottest hours of the day.

With a certain section of fans preferring to stay inside their home and enjoy a televised version of the game, secondary ticket marketplace data showed that the “get-in” ticket price fell dramatically to just $56. This represents an 85% drop from a peak baseline of $389 just a month prior. It stands as the cheapest ticket of any team playing in the ALDS or NLDS.

“I would prefer to play at night, but as far as who we play, I don’t think we really care. It’s going to be a hot weekend, and to play at night would certainly be more beneficial,” Dave Roberts noted on Wednesday.

Shohei Ohtani’s return may be the only draw strong enough to overcome the heat.

Ohtani is back, albeit with a concern

“I haven’t been able to get a good grasp of the root cause of all this. I think that process is going to happen during the offseason,” Ohtani said before Game 1 against Atlanta.

This indicates that he is still far from being fit, but Ohtani is batting 2nd in the game.

Ohtani spent the final weeks of the regular season managing right biceps and left knee injuries. After a 15-day stint on the injured list, he returned for the final five regular-season games to test his swing before utilizing the team’s first-round postseason bye to rest further.

However, as the Braves opted to start left-hander Dylan Dodd as an opener, the Dodgers shifted Ohtani out of his typical leadoff spot to bat second in the lineup, positioning Mookie Betts to lead off against the lefty.

“I think we always have open conversations with Sho. And I think this is go time for everybody,” Dodgers GM Brandon Gomes said. “So guys are ready to go, and he’s no different. And going out and giving everything he has is all we can ask.”

So, undoubtedly, Ohtani was rushed due to the postseason. Let’s see if the postseason workload, especially under such unforgiving temperatures, affects the two-way star any further.