Braves Blanked in Finale Against Dodgers, Split Series
The Atlanta Braves were shutout against the Los Angeles Dodgers in the series finale on Monday night.
The Atlanta Braves were dominated and shut out 9-0 in Monday night's series finale against the Los Angeles Dodgers.
Here’s what you need to know from the contest.
Max Fried Didn’t Have his Best Night
After allowing 11 hits in his last outing, Max Fried was looking for a rebound start at home against the Dodgers. He limited Los Angeles' hits, but it still wasn’t one of his best nights. Fried allowed three walks, and although he only allowed two hits on the evening, he let three runs come in to score.
It may count as a quality start, but it wasn’t a solid start, especially with the absence of the offense. His final line was 6 IP, 2H, 3ER, 3BB, and 7K on 98 pitches (57 of them were strikes). He collected eight Whiffs for a 26% CSW.
The Braves Offense Made Yamamoto Pitch
The Dodgers entered Monday with an already stressed bullpen. It was expected that the relief core would be needed on Monday as Yoshinobu Yamamoto was making just his second start back from the injured list. In his first outing since the rotator cuff injury, the Dodgers right-hander only went five innings and 59 pitches. Tonight, he threw 79 pitches but could only go four full frames.
It didn’t matter though. The Braves are back in the valley.
The Braves struggled to make anything happen with those runners on base. The team had multiple extra-base hits in the contest, including a leadoff triple and a leadoff double, but each time was unable to get them across the plate.
They finished the night going 0 for 12 with runners in scoring position (RISP) and left seven men on base.
Ozuna Continues to Slump
It hasn’t been a good month for the one-time NL MVP contender, and it doesn't look like it’s ending anytime soon. Marcell Ozuna was once again hitless at the plate on Monday night and continues his home run drought, now up to 25 games.
He is now hitting .200/.385/.200 in his last seven games. Yes, that’s not a typo. The Braves home run leader is slugging .200. The season is dwindling, and not having him produce at the plate and still batting in the middle of the order is beyond concerning.
Tiny Victories?
The only plus side that Braves fans can hang their hat on this weekend is the success the team had against the probable National League MVP, Shohei Ohtani. He arrived in Atlanta with 47 home runs and 48 stolen bases and will remain that way after the four games at Truist Park.
Hey, it’s something, ok?
What’s Next
With the loss on Monday, the two teams will split the series at Truist Park, but the Dodgers win the season series 5-2. The Atlanta Braves will be right back in action on Tuesday as they begin their final road trip of the regular season. The first stop will be three games against the Cincinnati Reds at Great American Ballpark, with first pitch scheduled for 6:40 PM EST.