The Los Angeles Dodgers opened their six-game homestand on Friday night with the start of a weekend series against the Atlanta Braves. Los Angeles took two of three from Atlanta at Turner Field in April, but needed extra winnings to collect both wins.
Kenta Maeda retired the first two batters faced before allowing the Braves the mount a two-out rally. It began on a Freddie Freeman walk, and the first baseman then moved into scoring position on a wild pitch.
Adonis Garcia followed with an RBI single to give the Braves a 1-0 lead before Maeda worked his way out of the inning. Julio Teheran bookended the bottom of the first with strikeouts.
Tyler Flowers led off the second with a single and went first to third base on Teheran’s one-out single. Mallex Smith then lined an RBI base hit up the middle to extend the Braves’ lead to 2-0.
Teheran walked Yasmani Grandal with two outs in the bottom of the second, giving the Dodgers their first baserunner on the night. Nothing came of it as Trayce Thompson flied out to end the inning.
Maeda recorded back-to-back strikeouts en route to retiring the Braves in order in the third. The Dodgers didn’t muster any offense in the bottom half of the inning, picking up his fourth and fifth strikeouts of the game.
A Kelly Johnson one-out base hit in the fourth was erased by Maeda making a catch on Teheran’s sacrifice bunt attempt and throwing to first base to double up Johnson.
CONTINUE READING: Seager has career night at the plate
