The Los Angeles Dodgers entered Sunday’s three-game series finale looking to sweep the Atlanta Braves, and extend their home winning streak to seven games. Their six-game home winning streak was the club’s longest since they won eight straight last April.
Chase d’Arnaud pulled a one-out double down the third base line with one out in the first inning. Scott Kazmir got Freddie Freeman swinging, but Jeff Francoeur followed with an RBI double to give the Braves a 1-0 lead.
Nick Markakis added an RBI single before Kazmir could get out of the inning. The Dodgers mounted a two-out rally on Matt Wisler in the bottom of the frame, beginning with a Trayce Thompson single up the middle.
He then raced around to score from first base on an Adrian Gonzalez double to center field. Howie Kendrick tied the game with an RBI single to center. Kazmir shook off the rocky first inning and retired the Braves in order in the second.
That led to Kiké Hernandez hitting a solo home run in the bottom half of the inning to give the Dodgers a 3-2 lead. Kazmir picked up a pair of strikeouts and worked around a two-out walk in the third to keep the Dodgers’ lead intact.
Trayce Thompson drew a leadoff walk and went from first to third base with one out int he bottom of the third on a Kendrick base hit to right field. After Joc Pederson hit an RBI single, Yasmani Grandal clubbed a three-run homer to push the Dodgers’ lead to 7-2.
The home run was Grandal’s fifth this season and first since May 25.
CONTINUE READING: Seager continues stretch of impressive hitting
A.J. Pierzynski singled with one out in the fourth inning, but nothing came of it for Atlanta as Kazmir retired the next two batters faced. Corey Seager padded the Dodgers’ lead with a solo home run to center field that initially didn’t appear to have enough to clear the fence.
John Gant replaced Wisler in the fifth inning, but it didn’t equate to preventing the Dodgers from adding to their lead.
Kazmir, who was in scoring position following his second hit of the game and a Chase Utley walk, scored on Seager’s RBI flare single to left field.
Francoeur opened the sixth with a double and promptly came around to score on a Markakis base hit. Dodgers manager Dave Roberts and trainer Nate Lucero went out to check on Kazmir and removed him from the game with what was later said to be cramping in his left quad.
J.P. Howell kept the damage to a minimum by getting a fly out and inning-ending double play. Gant retired the Dodgers in order in the bottom of the sixth, making that the first inning Los Angeles did not score at least one run.
Howell gave up a leadoff single to Kelly Johnson in the seventh, and walked Mallex Smith with one out. After Casey Fien took over and got d’Arnaud to fly out, Grandal picked Smith off first base to end the inning.
Alexi Ogando entered in the bottom of the seventh, only to become the next Braves pitcher knocked around. Utley ended an 0-for-15 skid with an RBI double, and Seager hit a towering two-run home run to extend the Dodgers’ lead to 12-3.
Seager’s homer was his 14th this season, which leads the team, and fifth of the series with the Braves, and third career multi-home run game. Chris Hatcher allowed two runs to come across in the eighth inning, trimming the Dodgers’ lead to 12-5.
Louis Coleman gave up a solo home run in the ninth before wrapping up the Dodgers’ sweep of the Braves with 12-6 victory.