The final encounter of the series between the Atlanta Braves and the Los Angeles Dodgers was expected to linger in favor of the latter. For the Braves: Bryce Elder, injury-replacement rookie pitch since June 2023, tops the bill in defiance of two-time Cy Young Award winner Blake Snell’s presence with the Dodgers.
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Both starting pitchers had left the contest prior to the fifth inning; each of the two completed just 4.0 innings of work. For the third consecutive night, the Braves drew first blood; for the second time in as many nights, they did so off a throwing error by Max Muncy. On this occasion, the sequence was initiated by two walks from Ozuna and Olson, with the last-inning addition of Nick Allen- who whittles away at Orlando Arcia’s starting role- doubling out to lead the hangers-on home again, 2-0 at the end of the inning.
Bryce Elder made a brilliant return in his opening inning, making Shohei Ohtani and Mookie Betts ground outs and striking out Teoscar Hernández with a brilliantly located sinker. The Braves rocked the offense again during the second inning when new acquisition Stuart Fairchild got on base because of another uncharacteristic error registered against Max Muncy, this being his second in as many innings.
Fairchild moved into second on a wild pitch then followed by a bunt single from Eli White. Big double on 3-0 by Ozzie Albies. The bases loaded with Ozuna on a walk before Austin Riley struck out. Then came a double from Matt Olsen, and two runs scored again, 5-0. Bryan De La Cruz lined a ball in 105.5 MPH but wasn’t going to add to that tally, thanks to Mookie Betts’s hands.
The offense had its moments, but the opportunity to have the bases loaded with no outs and have their best hitters at the plate yet squander it will go down as an everlasting disappointment.
