By: Harry Crowther
In the final game of a three-game set at Truist Park in Atlanta, the home-run ball and timely execution powered the Atlanta Braves to a 4-3 victory over the Los Angeles Dodgers Wednesday night.
Braves right-hander Bryce Elder made his tenth start of the year for Atlanta and pitched around heavy traffic in the first three Dodger frames. Los Angeles couldn’t scratch out a run despite five hits and stranded two base runners each of the first three innings. A highlight-reel double play turned by Ozzie Albies and Orlando Arcia up the middle helped Elder put up a zero in the fourth.
Tony Gonsolin made his sixth start for Los Angeles after recovering from a left ankle sprain he suffered in early March. David Peralta made a leaping catch to rob Austin Riley of extra bases in the first, and the Braves went down in order.
Embed from Getty ImagesMatt Olson broke the ice in the bottom of the fourth. After fouling off two tough two-strike offerings from Gonsolin, the Braves first baseman hit a towering solo home run over the Chop House in right field. His 14th of the year traveled 456 ft.
After struggling to find the timely hit in the first four innings, the Dodgers finally got to Elder in the fifth. Mookie Betts hit his 11th homer of the year, a solo shot that tied the game at 1-1. This one the antithesis of Olson’s: a sharp line drive to left field that just cleared the wall and landed in the visitor’s bullpen.
During Monday’s game, Dodgers’ catcher Will Smith took issue with Atlanta designated hitter Marcell Ozuna when Ozuna struck Smith with the follow through of his swing. On Thursday, Ozuna struck Smith again. But he got the ball first and glanced back at Smith as it sailed deep into the Atlanta night for a two-run homer.
The teams traded zeros in the sixth and seventh innings, but the Dodgers rallied in the eighth off Braves’ reliever Nick Anderson. Smith led off the inning with a single, and runners were at second and third with one out after a J.D. Martinez double down the left field line. Jason Heyward plated Smith with an RBI groundout that halved the Atlanta lead. With two outs and two strikes, Miguel Vargas hit a fly ball down the left field line that just dropped fair beyond the reach of Eddie Rosario. The ball jumped into the seats for a ground-rule double, and the score was tied 3-3.
With the game tied in the bottom of the ninth, Riley started the inning with a double off Dodger reliever Phil Bickford. The stage was then set for Albies after Travis d’Arnaud moved Riley to third and Los Angeles manager Dave Roberts elected to intentionally walk Rosario. Albies did the job; he hit a fly ball deep to right that allowed Riley to come home with the winning run. The Braves walked off the Dodgers and avoided a three-game sweep winning 4-3.
Elder tossed six innings of one-run ball allowing seven hits and fanning six. Elder lowered his ERA to 2.01, a National League best among qualified pitchers. Gonsolin went five and two thirds and surrendered 3 runs, all via the long ball.
Austin Riley led the way for Atlanta with two doubles while Olson and Ozuna both homered. For the Dodgers, Smith, Martinez and Vargas each recorded two hits, and Betts added a home run. Former Brave Freddie Freeman extended his hit streak to 14 games. Los Angeles out hit the Braves 12-5, and every Dodger reached base except Max Muncy who struck out three times.
The NL West-leading Dodgers travel to St. Petersburg where they will begin a three-game series against the Tampa Bay Rays Friday. The Braves extended their lead in the NL East to 5.5 games and welcome the Philadelphia Phillies to Truist Park for a four-game set. First pitch of game one is scheduled for 7:20 p.m. Thursday night.
