The Los Angeles Dodgers were being no-hit by Ian Anderson before breaking it open in the fifth inning of a 9-5 win over the Atlanta Braves. Friday’s meeting was the first between the teams since the 2020 National League Championship Series.
“He’s a really talented pitcher. Spins the ball well, has a really good breaking ball, he pitches. He mixes his pitches, he’s got good command, you never really know what you’re going to get,” Will Smith said of Anderson before the game.
The right-hander went on to hold the Dodgers without a hit until the fifth inning. They did manage a baserunner in the first on Austin Riley’s error while playing in a shift. Mookie Betts and Justin Turner walked in the fourth inning, and Chris Taylor drew a free pass in the fifth.
Taylor’s walk was followed by Gavin Lux pulling a double down the right-field line. That wound up leading to a run as AJ Pollock’s slow chopper up the third-base line resulted in Riley’s throw hitting Taylor in the back.
The Dodgers then took the lead when Urias dropped a bunt down in front of the mound. Lux broke home on the safety squeeze and went in head-first to beat the underhanded toss from Anderson. Sean Newcomb replaced Anderson, only to walk the bases loaded, then put Turner and Cody Bellinger on.
Grant Dayton relieved Newcomb and immediately gave up an RBI single to Smith, and Taylor cleared the bases with his eighth double of the season.
The Dodgers sent 13 batters to the plate in the fifth inning and scored eight runs despite collecting only three hits.
Urias and the Dodgers bullpen were able to finish out the game but not without some late drama. Urias personally settled in after a shaky opening frame in which he surrendered a home run to Freddie Freeman and threw 29 pitches to get three outs.
Urias kept the Braves off the scoreboard after that and needed just 54 pitches over the next four innings. Atlanta mustered just two hits and one walk during that span.
Jimmy Nelson was sharp in his first appearance since being reinstated from the 10-day injured list, striking out a pair and retiring the side in order in the seventh inning.
Atlanta cut into their deficit with four runs in the eighth, half of which came on Ozzie Albies’ double and the other pair when Lux collided with Pollock in left field on what should have been a routine flyout to end the inning.
A Betts leadoff double in the ninth led to an insurance run as he then advanced on consecutive wild pitches. That loomed large when Kenley Jansen began the bottom half of the inning with back-to-back walks.
Dodgers see Muncy leave early
Having welcomed back Bellinger and Zach McKinstry last weekend, and Nelson and Pollock on Thursday, the Dodgers now have some injury concern with Max Muncy. He was removed in the bottom of the fourth due to right ankle pain.
Muncy grounded into a double play in the top half of the inning but didn’t show any clear signs of discomfort.
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