Dodgers Fans Left a Playoff Game Down Two. LA Sports Fans Are Spoiled, and I'm One of Them

I'm a Los Angeles sports fan. I'm a Lakers fan, a Dodgers fan and, unfortunately, a Chargers fan. I was at Dodger Stadium on Sunday night for Game 2 of the NLDS, and I watched a lot of my fellow Dodgers fans walk out of a close playoff game before it was over.

The Braves won 3-2 to tie the series 1-1. Atlanta led 3-1 after seven innings, and by the 8th the aisles were full of people heading for the parking lot. The Dodgers scored a run in the 9th to pull within one. A lot of the people who bought tickets to a home playoff game were not there to see it.

LA Sports Fans Are Spoiled, Me Included

LA sports fans, including myself, are extremely spoiled. You won't see the kind of atmosphere you'd see at a Brewers game or a Padres game, where the fans are into it the entire game, whether they're up or down. Those crowds actually provide momentum for their team a lot of the time.

For LA teams, specifically the Lakers and Dodgers, it works the other way around. The team provides the momentum for the fans. If the team is playing well, the fans are into it, and they're some of the loudest fans in the entire world. If things aren't going well, the crowd just isn't very into it, and it can seem embarrassing.

It's also kind of embarrassing that Dodgers fans were leaving in the 8th inning, down two runs, in an NLDS game, in a best-of-five series.

I wasn't the only one who noticed. Braves site House That Hank Built wrote that Dodgers fans were pouring out of the stadium while it was still a two-run game.

It's Not a Numbers Problem

Nobody can say Dodgers fans don't show up. The Dodgers drew 4,034,219 fans in 2026, a franchise record and the most in baseball, averaging 49,805 a game. It was their second straight season over 4 million. They also led the majors in road attendance.

So it's not that we don't show up. We show up more than anybody. It's that we don't stay, and we're not loud unless the team gives us something to cheer about.

"Arrive late, leave early" has followed Dodger Stadium for a long time, and traffic is always the excuse. But people were writing about it back in 2012, when a HuffPost column argued that every ballpark has gridlock and that Dodgers games often get treated as a social night out more than a ballgame.

The arriving late part was on display too. This is from my seat a few minutes before first pitch of a home playoff game.

What It Looked Like in Milwaukee and San Diego

On the same day, in the other NLDS, the Brewers were down 3-2 to the Padres going into the bottom of the 9th, against Mason Miller, one of the best closers in baseball. A sellout crowd of 41,683 stayed for all of it. The Brewers loaded the bases on three walks, Jackson Chourio hit a two-run single, and Milwaukee walked it off 4-3 to go up 2-0 in the series.

A few days before that, the Padres swept the Cubs in the Wild Card Series at Petco Park, and Manny Machado, who has played in eight postseasons, said of the crowd: "I've never seen anything like it" (MLB.com). That's what a crowd that gives its team momentum looks like.

Since this is a uniform site, I'll say this too. When Dodger Stadium is full of white and Dodger blue jerseys, it looks amazing on TV. When half the seats are empty in the 8th inning, it doesn't.

What Comes Next for the Dodgers and Their Fans

Game 3 is Tuesday, October 6, in Atlanta. If the series goes five, Game 5 is back at Dodger Stadium on Friday, October 9. If we get that game, I really hope we stay until the last out, whether we're up or down.

For what both teams wore on Sunday, including the Braves' navy alternate, see our Braves navy jersey in NLDS Game 2 breakdown.

Frequently Asked Questions

Did Dodgers fans leave NLDS Game 2 early?

Yes. With the Braves leading 3-1 late in Game 2 at Dodger Stadium on October 4, 2026, many Dodgers fans left during the 8th inning. The Dodgers scored a run in the 9th before losing 3-2.

Who won NLDS Game 2 between the Braves and Dodgers?

The Atlanta Braves won 3-2 at Dodger Stadium on Sunday, October 4, tying the series 1-1. Game 3 is Tuesday, October 6, in Atlanta.

Why do Dodgers fans leave games early?

Traffic getting out of the Dodger Stadium parking lots is the most common explanation. Critics have argued since at least 2012 that every ballpark has traffic and that many fans treat Dodgers games as a social night out.

Do the Dodgers lead MLB in attendance?

Yes. The Dodgers drew 4,034,219 fans in 2026, a franchise record and the most in baseball, averaging 49,805 per game. It was their second straight season over 4 million.

Where would NLDS Game 5 between the Dodgers and Braves be played?

At Dodger Stadium on Friday, October 9, 2026, if the series goes the distance. Every Division Series uniform matchup is in our ALDS and NLDS uniforms guide.

The Bottom Line on Dodgers Fans Leaving Early

LA sports fans are spoiled, and I'm one of them. The Dodgers lead baseball in attendance, and when the team is rolling, Dodger Stadium is one of the loudest places in sports. But in Milwaukee and San Diego, the fans give the team momentum. In LA, the team has to give the fans momentum. Leaving in the 8th inning of an NLDS game, down two runs, and missing a 9th-inning run, is the clearest example of that. If there's a Game 5 at Dodger Stadium, let's actually stay for it.

Every Dodgers jersey and when they wear it is in the Dodgers uniform schedule, and every game this October is in the MLB uniform tracker.