Blake Snell gets no help from Dodgers’ offense in loss to Braves
It was Blake Snell’s bobblehead night Saturday at Dodger Stadium, but the Atlanta Braves spoiled the left-hander’s season debut with a 7-2 win.
Making his first major league appearance since the eighth inning of Game 7 of the World Series, Snell showed some rust early, giving up a leadoff single to Mauricio Dubón and walking Drake Baldwin. Ozzie Albies’ single loaded the bases and after Matt Olson grounded out, Dubon scored from third on Austin Riley’s fielder’s choice to shortstop. Snell struck out Michael Harris II to end the inning on his 25th pitch.
“First outing, things were good,” Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said of Snell’s performance. “There were a lot of swings and misses in there. You won’t get lucky with some hits, but give them credit for putting the ball in play. There were a few bad walks that extended the innings, but it’s something to build on.”
Atlanta loaded the bases again in the second and Albies launched a two-run single to left. Two more runs were scored on Olson’s single to right and after an inning and a half the Dodgers trailed 5-0. In the bottom of the inning, Eli White sprinted down the warning track in right field to deprive Max Muncy of extra bases.
Snell began the season on the injured list with left shoulder strain and was brought back early from his rehab assignment to replace Tyler Glasnow, who was placed on injured reserve Friday with back spasms. Snell allowed four earned runs on six hits, with two walks and five strikeouts over three innings and 77 pitches.
“Even with all the injuries, there’s no excuse,” Snell said. “I feel really good and I wanted this start. As far as how it went, I don’t know how I feel about it.”
Dodgers manager Dave Roberts talks with pitcher Blake Snell during a 7-2 loss to the Atlanta Braves on Saturday.
(Gina Ferazzi/Los Angeles Times)
While Snell struggled, Atlanta’s Spencer Strider was pinned early, allowing one hit and striking out eight batters in six innings before being relieved by Dylan Lee.
“Tip your cap to Strider,” Roberts said. “He flooded the zone with his fastball, he was falling behind and he was doing what he wanted.”
National League East leader Atlanta (27-13) stretched its lead to eight games against Washington while the Dodgers fell to 24-15 and saw their National League West lead reduced to one game against San Diego, which beat St. Louis 4-2 earlier in the day.
Jack Dreyer, who relieved Snell, allowed one hit in 1⅓ innings before being relieved by Edgardo Henriquez, who walked Riley and gave up an RBI double to Harris — the fifth hit in two days for the 2022 NL Rookie of the Year. Henriquez went 1⅔ innings before Paul Gervase gave up an RBI single to Baldwin.
“In Blake’s case, you just have to come back into a major championship game knowing your stuff is still good,” Roberts said. “Coming out of rehab you want to know that you are effective and that question has been answered.”
One night after handing Braves ace Chris Sale his second loss of the season, the Dodgers offense didn’t wake up until the ninth inning.
Dodgers star Shohei Ohtani singled down the left field line in the eighth inning against the Braves on Saturday.
(Gina Ferazzi/Los Angeles Times)
Shohei Ohtani went one for four with a single and two strikeouts. Freddie Freeman had two fly outs and a groundout before Dalton Rushing took his place in the top of the seventh.
The Dodgers avoided their second shutout loss of the season and finally gave the crowd of 50,209 a reason to cheer in the ninth when Andy Pages hit a two-run homer — his ninth of the season — off reliever Reynaldo Lopez.
“If you look at the whole last month, yes, we struggled, but Andy has been a constant,” Roberts said. “Every at-bat is important. He always swings a hot bat. That absolutely continues.”
Players from both teams played with heavy hearts following the death of former Braves manager Bobby Cox at the age of 84 on Saturday.
Freeman, in his fifth season of a six-year, $162 million contract with the Dodgers, spoke about Cox before the game.
“I woke up to the news this morning,” he said. “It’s a sad day in Braves country and all of baseball. My favorite memory of Bobby is seeing the joy on his face when he saw my 6-year-old. He had our backs. He wanted to win as much as you did. What stands out is the genuine care he had for every person in that clubhouse.
“My first day of spring training, I came in and he joked, ‘Why did it take you so long to get to the big leagues?’ He cared equally about 19- and 40-year-olds. I have a signed Bobby Cox jersey at home.
Cox’s death came just four days after the death of Ted Turner, owner of the Braves from 1976 to 2007.
Note: Left-hander Justin Wrobleski (5-0) is expected to start the series finale Sunday afternoon against Braves right-hander Bryce Elder (3-1). “I feel good – we have Justin tomorrow and we have to lean on him,” Roberts said. “We’ll probably make another move to get another arm.”
