FSM Essential Recap: Dodgers vs Braves - Series 19

FSM Essential Recap: Dodgers vs Braves – Series 19

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Los Angeles Dodgers (34-25)  |  Atlanta Braves (28-29)

 

“Baseball is like driving, it’s the one who gets home safely that counts.”

– Tommy Lasorda

 

Game 3:

 

After a huge inning in Friday’s win in Atlanta, the Dodgers offense mostly had a quiet weekend, culminating in a 4-2 loss to the Braves on Sunday afternoon at Truist Park.

Max Fried stifled the Dodgers through six innings, allowing only a run while striking out four and keeping the ball mostly on the infield, with 10 groundouts. The supposedly shaky Atlanta bullpen proved anything but over the last two days of the series. After four scoreless frames on Saturday, three Braves relievers combined to allow only one run in the series finale.

The Dodgers scored eight runs in the fifth inning on Friday, and since then scored seven runs in 22 innings.

Albert Pujols drove in both Dodgers runs on Sunday, with a single in the fourth off Fried, then a solo home run off Will Smith in the ninth. Pujols since joining the Dodgers is 10-for-28 (.357) with three home runs and two doubles against left-handed pitchers.

The home run for Pujols was his 671st, and it gave him 5,980 total bases in his career, passing Barry Bonds for fourth all-time.

It was a heavy traffic day for Atlanta against Trevor Bauer, whose six hits allowed were his most this season, while also walking four for the third time in his last four starts. In that respect, things could have been worse, since Bauer limited the damage to single runs in the second, third, and sixth innings.

The Braves were just 1-for-10 with runners in scoring position against Bauer, who struck out seven, giving him 103 strikeouts on the season, one behind Max Scherzer for the National League lead.

Three different Dodgers suffered leg injuries during the series. First was Max Muncy, who left Friday’s game with a mild ankle sprain. He didn’t play on Saturday and was limited to pinch-hitting duty on Sunday, flying out with the tying runs on base to end the seventh.

Dave Roberts said before the game he’s “hopeful” Muncy will be able to start when the Dodgers next play, on Tuesday in Pittsburgh.

On Saturday, it was Austin Barnes who suffered the mild ankle sprain at first base. He remained in the game behind the plate, and even batted again, but didn’t play on Sunday. Roberts said Barnes would be available to catch in an emergency on both Sunday and Tuesday, but the ankle bothers Barnes while hitting.

In the series finale on Sunday, Chris Taylor fouled a ball directly off his left knee in the fourth inning but stayed in the game after a long consultation with trainer Yosuke Nakajima. Taylor was called out on strikes, on an inside pitch much to his chagrin, to end that at-bat, then he grounded out in the sixth and flew out to deep center in the eighth.

 

Game 3 Boxscore:

 

WP: Max Fried (3-3)

LP: Trevor Bauer (6-4)

SV: Will Smith (11)

HR: Albert Pujols (9)

 

Monday is an off day for the Dodgers, who travel to Pittsburgh next to finish the road trip.

 

Game 2:

 

It was the Braves turn to ride the carousel around the bases on Saturday, scoring five runs with two outs in the third inning of a 6-4 win over Clayton Kershaw and the Dodgers in the middle game of a weekend series at Truist Field in Atlanta.

Kershaw got through six innings for the fifth straight start and struck out nine. Five of those innings on Saturday were scoreless, but the third inning was a doozy. With two outs and a runner on first base, Kershaw issued a seven-pitch walk, his only one of the night, to Ronald Acuña Jr., and then the floodgates opened.

“You can’t do that,” Kershaw said of his walk to Acuña. “I was pitching him as tough as I could, but he’s a great hitter, obviously. With two outs, you don’t want to walk him to get to Freddie no matter what.”

Freddie Freeman singled home a run with a 96.4-mph that was the softest of the hard-hit parade. The next three hits all had exit velocities of at least 100 mph — a two-run double by Ozzie Albies, a single in the hole at shortstop by Austin Riley, and a two-run double by Dansby Swanson.

Five runs are the most Kershaw had allowed in an inning since the Marlins got him for five runs on April 26, 2016, when Giancarlo Stanton absolutely punished a baseball for a three-run home run at Dodger Stadium.

Kershaw has allowed five runs in three of his last six starts, and since the start of May, has a 5.26 ERA. San Francisco also tagged Kershaw for five runs on Sunday, making this just the fourth time he’s allowed five runs in consecutive starts. The other three times came in Kershaw’s first four seasons.

“I’m just not pitching well,” Kershaw said. “I don’t know what to tell you.”

 

On offense, the Dodgers took advantage of a sloppy Braves defense a few times. They scored in the first inning without a hit, thanks to errors by Austin Riley and pitcher Charlie Morton. In the third, Los Angeles answered Atlanta’s five-run frame immediately with three runs in the top of the fourth, the third scoring after a throwing error by shortstop Dansby Swanson.

On that errant throw in the fourth inning that allowed catcher Austin Barnes to reach first base, but after eluding a tag by Freddie Freeman, Barnes rolled his ankle at the front of the bag. After several minutes with Dave Roberts and the team trainer, Barnes stayed in the game and even caught the rest of the way.

Roberts said Barnes suffered a mild ankle sprain that mostly affected him while hitting. In his only at-bat following the injury, Barnes hit a 94-mph grounder that ate up Swanson at shortstop, but he recovered to throw out Barnes at first.

Will Smith is expected to start at catcher on Sunday, but Barnes’ availability is unknown.

“We’ll know more tomorrow,” Roberts said.

The fourth-inning rally pulled the Dodgers to within a run, and Morton was done after five. But despite reaching base in each of the first three innings against Atlanta’s bullpen — again with some help, with an error and a hit by pitch mixed in — the Dodgers were unable to score again.

 

Game 2 Boxscore:

 

WP: Charlie Morton (5-2 / 4.21 ERA)

LP: Clayton Kershaw (7-5 / 3.66 ERA)

SV: Will Smith (10)

HR: Abraham Almonte (1)

 

 

Trevor Bauer starts Sunday morning’s series finale against Max Fried. The game starts at 10:20 and can be seen on SportsNet LA and MLB Network.

 

Game 1:

 

An eight-run inning from the Dodgers was all the offense they needed, as they defeated the Braves, 9-5.

After scoring 11 runs in an inning in their last game, the Dodgers only scored eight runs in an inning tonight. Instead of the first inning, L.A. waited until the fifth to deliver the death blow. Although the offense was repeatedly scoring, the way they scored the eight was completely different than Wednesday.

The Dodgers scored eight runs while recording only three hits in the inning. In the other eight innings on the night, the offense recorded only one hit.

Chris Taylor walked, and Gavin Lux doubled for L.A.’s first hit of the night. AJ Pollock then grounded to third, but Taylor used his speed to beat the throw home, tying the game at one apiece. Julio Urias then stepped to the plate. With runners on the corners, he was attempting to drop a bunt. After falling behind in the count 0-2, he placed a perfect bunt down that scored Lux from third to give L.A. the 2-1 lead.

Mookie Betts flew out, and there were two outs. Albert Pujols walked, loading the bases for Justin Turner. He walked, bringing in the third run for the Dodgers. Cody Bellinger then walked, making it a 4-1 game. Will Smith followed with a single, bringing in another run. Taylor was back at the plate again after kicking off the rally with a walk. He scorched a double down the left-field line, clearing the bases and making it an 8-1 game.

 

Urias made the start for L.A. and was much better than his last start. Against San Francisco last weekend, the lefty had arguably the worst start of his big-league career. He went five innings, allowing only one run, which came courtesy of a Freddie Freeman home run. Aside from that homer, Urias allowed four hits and struck out five.

The Braves chipped away in the eighth inning, as they scored four runs to make it a three-run game. Betts was able to provide a much-needed insurance run in the ninth. After he doubled to lead off the inning, two wild pitches allowed him to come in and score the ninth run of the game.

Kenley Jansen took the ball in the ninth. Things got a little interesting as he walked two hitters, but he managed to shut the door down and secure the Dodgers victory.

 

Game 1 Boxscore:

 

WP: Julio Urias (8-2 / 3.48 ERA)

LP: Ian Anderson (4-3 / 3.64 ERA)

 

 

Clayton Kershaw will take the mound against the Braves who will counter with Charlie Morton. The first pitch is slated for 1:30 and can be seen on FS1.

 

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– Joe Arrigo

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