The Atlanta Braves just took a tough one against the Dodgers tonight, dropping what was a pivotal NLDS game and putting them behind 2-1 in the series. What started with so much promise, especially after Chris Sale’s dominant complete game shutout against Yoshinobu Yamamoto last time out, spiraled fast in the middle innings, and the Braves’ bats just could not come alive.
Sale’s Rough Outing Ends Dominant Stretch
Man, it felt like we were in for another Sale masterclass early on. In the first, he gave up a leadoff single to Betts and saw Ha-Seong Kim make an error, but then he just shut it down, striking out Freeman, Smith, and Ohtani. Total Sale power move! Yamamoto responded with a great first of his own, fanning two and getting Olson to ground out. In the second, Tucker singled and even swiped second, but Sale struck out every other hitter he faced, keeping things locked. Harris got the Braves’ first base runner with a single in the second, but that was it for offense.
The third inning got wild, fast. Betts singled, and then Dubón made an absolutely incredible play, robbing Freddie Freeman of a home run that would have shifted everything. Incredible, right? A Teoscar Hernández fly out followed, but then Smith singled, and Ohtani got on with catcher’s interference, loading the bases. Sale, clutch as always, got Rojas to line out, escaping the jam with zero damage. But the Braves’ bats? Crickets. Zero offense in the third.
Then the fourth happened, and it all just started to unravel for Sale. Pages singled, and after a Tucker line out, postseason legend Enrique Hernández blasted a two-run shot, putting the Dodgers on the board and in the lead. Betts grounded out, but then Freeman himself added a solo shot, making it 3-0. Teoscar Hernández hit a rocket, a 108.4 MPH fly out, to end the top of the fourth, but the damage was done. Sale stayed in for the fifth, retiring the side and striking out Will Smith, but his night ended with 5.0 innings, three earned runs, seven hits, zero walks, and seven strikeouts. Not the Sale we know from his last start against Yamamoto, that is for sure.
Braves Offense Goes Cold When It Mattered Most
While Sale was battling, the Braves offense just disappeared. Aside from Harris’s single in the second and Olson’s single in the fourth, there was nothing. No fire, no rally, just quiet bats. They had a glimmer of hope in the fifth when Dubón singled, followed by a Thomas single. Riley struck out, but Tellez, pinch-hitting for Kim, walked to load the bases. We were all on the edge of our seats! Baldwin grounded out, finally scoring a run. But then Acuña grounded out himself, ending the inning and stranding runners. Talk about a gut punch.
The Braves brought in Dylan Dodd for the sixth, and he kept it mostly clean, allowing a Pages single but then striking out two and sitting down the rest. Unfortunately, the Braves were retired in order again. Dylan Lee came in for the seventh, a guy who has been struggling lately, but he got the job done, retiring the side and keeping the game close. But the bottom of the Braves’ lineup looked exactly like the bottom of the lineup in the seventh, getting sat down in order yet again. Brent Suter came in for the eighth, an interesting choice. He walked Ohtani on seven pitches, and then Rojas tweaked something, getting replaced by Edman who popped up. Suter managed to prevent any more offense, a critical hold. Tanner Scott took over for Yamamoto. Hicklen struck out, Baldwin grounded out, and Ronald Acuña walked. Olson fought, taking Scott to six pitches, but ultimately struck out, leaving the Braves with just three outs left and staring at a significant deficit.
This series is far from over, but falling behind 2-1 is a brutal spot. The Braves need to find that spark again, especially with the bats, if they want to get back into this.
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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