Dodgers Digest Los Angeles Dodgers Baseball Blog
The Dodgers traveled to Atlanta in order to complete their road trip and it was a potential NLCS matchup against the Braves.
Well so far so good, as the Dodgers rode a flurry of dongs to a comeback win over the Braves in a 8-3 win.
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Mike Soroka is the Braves rookie ace and he’s the best in baseball at suppressing homers, but it was the Dodgers who struck first in the 2nd behind a Cody Bellinger dong, his 41st of the year to make it 1-0.
After a 1-2-3 frame in the 1st, Kenta Maeda did Kenta Maeda things and had a disastrous 2nd inning. He surrendered three walks, a double, and two singles in the inning for three runs to make it 3-1 and it was as frustrating to watch as ever.
In the 3rd, the Dodgers managed to cut the lead in half, as Matt Beaty doubled and Joc Pederson drove him in with a single to make it 3-2.
Speaking of Kenta, he followed his disaster of a 2nd by starting a streak in the 3rd of striking out seven batters in a row. Of course, when that was broken up with a single shot the other way against the shift, he immediately lost it again and walked a batter.
Kenta ended up striking out nine in 4.2 innings, giving up just the three runs on five hits and four walks. The flashes are always there but one inning seems to be the downfall.
After Soroka wiggled out of a bases loaded with one out situation in the 6th, things seemed bleak for the offense. But in the 7th with two outs, he allowed a single and was relieved by Sean Newcomb, who proceeded to walk Kyle Garlick and give up a no-doubter to right for a three-run Max Muncy homer which was his 30th.
The next pitch was smashed by Justin Turner to make it back-to-back with his 22nd and make it 6-3.
The Dodgers piled on in the 8th behind a Corey Seager double and a Will Smith two-run homer to make it 8-3.
Meanwhile, the relievers did excellent. Adam Kolarek was brought in to get out of the 5th, and he did his LOOGY job. Then he got another inning of perfect scoreless work in the 6th.
Julio Urias took over from there and got the save, going three scoreless, striking out just one but allowing just one hit and one walk. Granted, it could’ve been worse if not for Kristopher Negron in the 9th.
Cool.
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The Dodgers are now 82-42 on the year and they play the Braves again tomorrow with Hyun-Jin Ryu on the bump facing Mike Foltynewicz.
