After near no-no against Dodgers in regular season, Sean Newcomb to start Game 3 for Atlanta

A victory away from sweeping the Braves out of the National League Division Series, the Dodgers will face in Game 3 a left-handed pitcher who tormented them earlier in the season.

Sean Newcomb finished one out shy of a no-hitter when he faced the Dodgers at Sun Trust Park on July 29. His pitching suffered in the aftermath of the outing, which cost him his spot in the Braves rotation. But on Saturday afternoon, Atlanta manager Brian Snitker revealed Newcomb would start in place of right-hander Kevin Gausman on Sunday.

“The situation is kind of dire right now,” Snitker said. “We need to win. And not that Gausman doesn’t give us that opportunity. We like how Newcomb matches up with them and the success that he’s had against the Dodgers this year.”

Newcomb threw two scoreless innings in Game 1 in relief of Braves starter Mike Foltynewicz.

Newcomb posted a 5.68 earned-run average in 10 appearances in August and September. Snitker informed Newcomb about the new assignment on Saturday.

“I could tell just on the phone that he was excited and looking forward to it,” Snitker said.

andy.mccullough@latimes.com

Twitter: @McCulloughTimes