Dodgers manager Dave Roberts played musical chairs with his pitching roster on Saturday utilizing a cast of eight right and left-handers in a losing cause in Atlanta.
Roberts plan on paper and on the mound was promising, until Austin Riley capitalized on a rare mistake by Blake Treinen, ripping a line drive walk-off to left on a breaking ball that didn’t break, sending Ozzie Albies home to win the game.
On a night when veteran first baseman Freddie Freeman had a career high four K’s, Los Angeles missed the perfect opportunity to grab Game 1 and avoid a possible 0-2 disadvantage before returning back home.
In the top of the first, Corey Seager laced a two-out double to right center and remained there after the struggling Justin Turner swung through a 2-2 88 m.p.h. slider from Braves starter, Max Fried.
Corey Knebel got an encore start after beginning Game 5 of the division series, and the Braves struck first in the bottom of the first on a passed ball that the righty got blamed for, scoring Eddie Rosario from third with Riley at the plate.
In the top of the second, AJ Pollock crushed a breaking ball to right center, trotting home on a two-out RBI single to left center by Chris Taylor. Taylor swiped second and remained there after pinch hitting Steven Souza Jr. whiffed while looking at a 95 mph four-seam fastball.
The boys in blue brought Phil Bickford to the mound in the bottom frame, then immediately punched out former Dodger Joc Pederson and his pearl necklace, retired Adam Duvall on a two-pitch pop up to short and struck out Travis d’Arnaud with 94 m.p.h. heat.
Bickford came back for seconds in the bottom of the third getting Dansby Swanson to chase a slider before Roberts rolled out pitcher No. 3, Justin Bruihl, who fanned Fried on seven pitches and got Rosario on a ground out to Trea Turner.
Will Smith launched a leadoff home run in the fourth, putting the Dodgers up 2-1, which they never got to savor after Riley rocked a solo shot off pitcher No. 4 four, Tony Gonsolin, in the Braves bottom frame to even the score.
The reliever, wearing cat-themed cleats, helped his own cause in the top of the fifth beating out an infield single to Swanson. Mookie Betts, nursing a cold bat, quickly erased the runner, grounding into a double play returning to the dugout 0-for-3. Taylor singled to center on a 3-2 count, stole second, and was left holding the bag once again after Seager was caught looking.
Gonsolin retired the Braves in order in the bottom frame and in the top of the sixth the Dodgers got a man to third via Justin Turner’s slump breaking single to center. A wild pitch brought him to second, and an Albert Pujols grounder to the pitcher took him 90 feet from home, but Pollock’s liner to Albies left him there.
Alex Vesia was named pitcher No. 5 in the bottom of the sixth. The Miami Marlins transplant punched out a pair, leaving Albies stranded on first from an infield single.
In the seventh, Fried took a seat in the dugout. Reliever Tyler Matzek was greeted by a not so fine “how do you do?” double from Taylor to right. Austin Barnes took Vesia’s place in the batting order, bunting Taylor to third. With one away, Betts couldn’t convert, fouling out to first, and Trea Turner, this year’s NL batting champ, went down swinging on a 87 mph slider.
Joe Kelly, crowned pitcher No. 6, retired the side in order in the bottom half, striking out a pair, and the Dodgers went down quietly in the top of the eighth.
In the bottom half, hurler No. 7, Kenley Jansen, kept the score tied by getting Swanson, Ehire Adrianza and Rosario on a slew of cutters and sinkers.
The other Will Smith, who doesn’t crouch behind the plate, emerged from the bullpen, popping out Pujols and Pollock on 10 pitches. After giving Taylor a free pass, Cody Bellinger, who we’re kinda getting used to being clutch, was so, singling to right and Taylor made a base running blunder. He overran second and was tagged out between the bases. He was left sitting on the ground shaking his head in disgust as the Braves gleefully sprinted off the field.
It wasn’t a must win for the Dodgers, but it sure would’ve been nice to steal Game 1 on the road with their ace Max Scherzer on the mound tomorrow.
