Pinch-hitter Ha-Seong Kim absolutely iced the Los Angeles Dodgers last night, singling home Lane Thomas with two outs in the ninth inning for a wild 6-5 Atlanta Braves win. This was a brutal loss for the Dodgers, who made an absolute gamble by intentionally walking Austin Riley to get to Kim, and it blew up right in their faces. Tanner Scott, who already took the loss in Tuesday’s series opener, was on the mound for the Dodgers and now carries a 1-5 record. Victor Mederos, meanwhile, locked it down for the Braves with a perfect ninth, earning his third win of the season.
Dodgers’ Risky Play Delivers a Crushing Blow
Talk about a pressure cooker moment! Thomas had just ripped a double to right field against Scott, setting up a runner in scoring position with two outs. That’s when the Dodgers played with fire, waving Austin Riley to first base. The idea was to set up a force out, but Kim had other plans. He stepped up, cool as ice, and delivered the walk-off shot that sent the Braves faithful home ecstatic. This back-to-back loss for Scott against the same team has got to sting, especially when the game was on the line because of a managerial decision.
A Back-and-Forth Battle for NL Division Leaders
This wasn’t just any game, folks; it was a slugfest between two NL division leaders, and it lived up to the hype. The Dodgers jumped ahead early when Tommy Edman smashed a two-run shot in the third inning, making it 3-1. But the Braves weren’t having it. They punched back hard in the fourth: Austin Riley delivered a sacrifice fly, and Drake Baldwin crushed a two-run double, putting Atlanta up 4-3. Baldwin was on fire, finishing the night with three hits. Sean Murphy then hit his very first homer of the season in the sixth, pushing the lead to 5-3. Matt Olson also added to the Braves’ power display, hitting his 37th homer of the year.
The Dodgers refused to quit, though. They clawed their way back in the seventh. Mookie Betts singled to drive in Shohei Ohtani, and then Edman drew a bases-loaded walk to tie things up again. Didier Fuentes, the Braves pitcher, managed to escape further damage, getting Kyle Tucker to line out and inducing a double-play grounder from Alek Thomas. The Braves had their own chance in the eighth, loading the bases, but Mauricio Dubón grounded into a double play, leaving them empty-handed. On the pitching front, Braves starter AJ Smith-Shawver gave up three runs on five hits in five innings. The Dodgers’ Roki Sasaki allowed four runs on six hits before he had to leave in the fourth with a blister, a major bummer for L.A.
What’s Next for the Dodgers? A Sweep on the Line!
Now, the Dodgers are staring down the barrel of a three-game sweep. On Thursday night, they’ll send Yoshinobu Yamamoto (12-7, 2.61 ERA) to the mound, hoping he can stop the bleeding. He’ll face off against Braves LHP Chris Sale (12-9, 2.20 ERA). This series finale is going to be intense; Los Angeles desperately needs a win to avoid getting swept.
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by Yahoo Sports.
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