The Dodgers completed a massive comeback against the Braves on Monday night, turning a 4-0 1st inning deficit into an 8-5 victory. J.D. Martinez and Freddie Freeman were the hitting stars of the game with 7 hits and 5 runs batted in between them. Rookie starter Gavin Stone put together an uneven game but a certain learning opportunity of a game.
The kid will take his lumps
Let’s get into the highlights of this one.
After an ugly first inning where Gavin Stone allowed 4 runs on 3 hits — one hit was a 3 run home run — and a walk, the Dodgers’ comeback attempt started in the top of the 2nd inning with a J.D. Martinez solo homer, his 7th home run this season.
It stretched a mini hit streak he’s on to 7 games.
Stone settled down in the bottom of the second and faced the minimum over the next three innings and gave his team a chance to get back into the game.
The Dodgers continued to chip away, adding a pair of runs in the 4th inning. Freddie Freeman manufactured one of those runs. He led off the inning with a hustle double, advanced to third on a fly out to the wall by Will Smith, and scored impressively on a groundout to first base. JD followed with a 2 out single and scored on an RBI triple off the bat of David Peralta.
In the top of the 5th, the Dodgers came all the way back and took the lead… of course it was off the bat of Freddie Freeman.
Miguel Rojas led off the inning with a line drive single to center. Mookie Betts walked behind him and set the stage for Freddie to lower the boom and put LA on top 6-4.
It was Freeman’s first home run as a visiting player at Truist Park.
The Braves got things cooking again in the bottom of the 5th inning with Stone walking the first two batters on 8 consecutive balls. That was all she wrote for the rookie as Dave Roberts handed the baseball to Evan Phillips… in the 5th inning! It proved to be the right call (and something not enough folks will give credit to Doc for) as Phillips walked a tightrope to let just one inherited runner score (thanks in part to some bad baserunning by the Braves).
The Dodgers got that run right back in the top of the 6th on a Mookie Betts RBI single to drive in Miguel Rojas. They added another in the top of the 7th with a JD Martinez solo homer, his 2nd home and 4th hit of the night. Yeesh.
8-5 Dodgers lead.
The Braves picked up a run in the top of the 8th on a Marcell Ozuna RBI double off Brusdar Graterol. The runner was Phil Bickford’s responsibility.
Graterol picked up the 4 out save with a 1-2-3 9th inning on a nice play by Max Muncy to end it.
8-6 Dodger victory and they become the first team in the National League to reach the 30 win mark.
Dodger Pitching
Caleb Ferguson, Yency Almonte, Phil Bickford and Brusdar Graterol combined to allow one run over the final 4 innings of the game.
Up Next
The series with the Braves continues with top prospect Bobby Miller (0-0, 0.00 ERA) making his MLB debut in Atlanta. The Bravos counter with RHP Spencer Strider (4-1 2.96 ERA).
