Righty Bobby Miller threw seven strong innings, and Mookie Betts continued his offensive tear as the Los Angeles Dodgers defeated the Atlanta Braves 3-1, salvaging a win in an otherwise disappointing series against the National League’s best club.
Initially, it looked like it would be an exciting series after the Dodgers mounted an amazing comeback when starter Lance Lynn got throttled in the opener, but Los Angeles lost its momentum on an ugly strikeout from Enrique Hernandez to end the game.
Aside from a pinch-hit homer from Kolten Wong, the offense was mostly dormant in Friday’s affair. The Braves stung lefty Julio Urias for five early runs, preventing the Dodgers from gaining any kind of control.
Despite having to pitch a bit of a hybrid/bullpen game on Saturday, the Dodgers got four strong innings from youngster Emmet Sheehan on Saturday, but the Los Angeles offense, known for its inopportune streaks of dormancy this season, went to sleep once again. The game ended up going into extras, and Alex Vesia got touched up for three runs as the Braves cruised to victory.
This was the first significant series for the Dodgers in a while, as the club just completed another record-breaking August. It certainly appears that the Braves and Dodgers have separated themselves as the two best clubs in the NL, and the Braves showed why they are the top club on the Senior Circuit. Even the above-average teams in the NL don’t appear to be a match for either Atlanta or Los Angeles at this point in the year.
Regardless, Miller looked good on Sunday, allowing just three hits and a walk while striking out five. His only significant blemish was surrendering a long ball to Matt Olson, the NL’s home-run leader, in the seventh that brought the Braves within two runs. Shelby Miller held Atlanta at bay in the eighth, setting the stage for Brusdar Graterol in the ninth, who secured the save despite allowing a walk to Ozzie Albies and a single to Olson.
The Dodgers scored two runs in the fifth, powered by a Miguel Rojas double and a single from Betts. They added another insurance run in the eighth when James Outman singled home Chris Taylor.
Of course, many presumed this series to be a prelude to this year’s National League Championship series, although there’s still a long way to go until mid-October. Things could be a bit different though for the Dodgers with the potential returns of J.D. Martinez, Joe Kelly and Walker Buehler.
Buehler threw two perfect innings for Triple-A Oklahoma City on Sunday, his first competitive action since June of last year. Martinez is eyeing a potential return for the series in Washington against the Nationals next weekend.
In the meantime, the Dodgers head to Miami for a three-game set against the Marlins beginning Tuesday. Potentially lining up to start for Los Angeles are Clayton Kershaw, Lynn and Urias, respectively.