Dodgers Digest Los Angeles Dodgers Baseball Blog
After two wins to start the series, the Braves avoided the sweep with a 4-3 win over the Dodgers, walking them off in the 9th after the Dodgers rallied back in the 8th. Given the close ending, it was stranding a small island on the bases that came back to haunt them.
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Tony Gonsolin was on the mound for the Dodgers and was coming off back-to-back scoreless starts. Early on it certainly looked like he would duplicate the feat, as he retired the first 10 batters he faced. However, Matt Olson ended that streak violently by absolutely annihilating a ball for a 1-0 lead.
on TOP of the Chop@mattolson21 | #ForTheA pic.twitter.com/ezxI7YJ5IP
— Atlanta Braves (@Braves) May 25, 2023
In a way it was amazing that the Braves had the lead at that point, as Bryce Elder was in trouble the whole time. He worked around a pair of singles with no outs in the 1st, another pair with one out in the 2nd, and a one-out walk and two-out single in the 3rd. He did face the minimum in the 4th despite hitting a batter thanks to a nifty double play, but the Dodgers finally got to him in the 5th thanks to Mookie Betts lining his 11th homer of the year over the wall in left for a 1-1 game.
Mookie Betts ties the game with a shorter homer that counts the same. pic.twitter.com/z9xa4UGlzV
— Chad Moriyama (@ChadMoriyama) May 25, 2023
Unfortunately, that didn’t last long either, as Gonsolin seemed to lose it in the 5th, issuing a walk, giving up a two-run homer to Marcell Ozuna to make it 3-1, and then giving up another walk before getting through that frame.
2-run BOMB from Ozuna ?#ForTheA pic.twitter.com/z8I67HDsxG
— Atlanta Braves (@Braves) May 25, 2023
Note: Yes, that is Ozuna smoking Will Smith for the third time in three games.
Gonsolin actually pitched into the 6th, getting a pair of outs sandwiched around a double before Dave Roberts made a move to the pen.
5.2 IP, 3 H, 3 R, 2 BB, 4 K, 88 Pitches
Thankfully he was able to remain at just three runs allowed because Shelby Miller notched a strikeout to end the frame and then continued on in the 7th for a 1-2-3 inning, getting all four batters he faced in the game.
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On the other side, there wasn’t a whole ton going on. Elder gave up a single in the 6th but made it through the inning, and Jesse Chavez faced the minimum in the 7th after a single was erased by lineout double play.
Thankfully, the Braves went to 2020 World Series hero Nick Anderson in the 8th, who gave up a Dills single and J.D. Martinez double to set the stage. Jason Heyward then grounded out for an RBI to cut the deficit to one, and Miguel Vargas followed with a bloop double down the line in left to make it 3-3.
Ladies and gentlemen, he's done it again. pic.twitter.com/Mhqj8l13zv https://t.co/9Carq0iJXZ
— Chad Moriyama (@ChadMoriyama) May 25, 2023
The Dodgers then turned to Victor Gonzalez in the 8th, and he gave up a softly hit single to start but followed with a double play and a soft lineout to keep the score tied.
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In the 9th, Raisel Iglesias got two quick outs to start the inning, but then issued a walk and gave up a single to put a pair on again, but Max Muncy finished an 0-for-5 night with a fly out to left.
For whatever reason, Dave went with Phil Bickford in the 9th instead of Caleb Ferguson, as surely they’d have liked to avoid Evan Phillips, Brusdar Graterol, and Yency Almonte, who were used in the last two games. Predictably, he gave up a lead-off double, a grounder that advanced him to third, and then got walked off by Ozzie Albies on a sac fly.
WALK IT OFF, OZZIE!!!@ozzie | #ForTheA pic.twitter.com/PmyTcySObD
— Atlanta Braves (@Braves) May 25, 2023
Dunno.
Guess they had to save the pen.
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| NL WEST | RECORD |
|---|---|
| Dodgers | 31-20 |
| Diamondbacks | 29-21 (1.5 GB) |
*Either still playing or will play later.
The Dodgers finally get a day off tomorrow after 13 in a row! After that they’ll pop up in Tampa Bay for a three-game series with the Rays. It’ll start at 12:40 PM HT/3:40 PM PT/6:40 PM ET with Noah Syndergaard (5.88 ERA/5.12 xERA/5.01 DRA) facing … I mean, I don’t really know who is going for them.
