Dodgers Beat Sale and Braves Behind Freeman Homer and Bullpen Dominance
- Christian Monreal
- May 8
- 1 min read
Updated: 4 days ago
The start of this early May series between the Dodgers and Braves already carried the intensity of a postseason matchup. With the back-to-back World Series champions hosting one of baseball’s hottest teams, Friday night felt like an October preview from the very first pitch.
Despite a strong seven-inning outing from former Cy Young Award winner Chris Sale, the Dodgers found a way to grind out a 3-1 victory over Atlanta by capitalizing on limited opportunities. With the game tied 1-1 in the fifth inning, Braves shortstop Jim Jarvis committed a throwing error, advancing Miguel Rojas into scoring position. Shohei Ohtani then delivered a clutch two-out RBI single to give Los Angeles a 2 to 1 lead.
“We've got to get those two out hits, especially against a guy like Sale,” manager Dave Roberts said. “It definitely felt like an October game. You have to take advantage of mistakes.”
The Dodgers added insurance in the sixth when Freddie Freeman launched a 0-and-1 fastball from Sale over the center-field wall for his first home run in more than a month.
“I would’ve taken a broken bat bloop against Chris,” Freeman said with a laugh. “You’re facing a Cy Young Award winner. To beat guys like that the way we did, you have to play a really quality game.”
After Emmet Sheehan turned in 4.2 innings with seven strikeouts and only one run allowed, the Dodgers' bullpen took over and shut the door. Alex Vesia, Kyle Hurt, Will Klein, Brock Stewart, and Tanner Scott combined for scoreless relief to secure the 3-1 win over a red-hot Atlanta lineup.
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