Mike Bolsinger gives Dodgers much needed strong start in 3-1 win
Dodgers starter Mike Bolsinger delivers a pitch during the second inning of a 3-1 victory over the Atlanta Braves on Wednesday.
From the Dodgers and their beat-up and struggling bullpen, all roses to Mike Bolsinger. To shortstop Jimmy Rollins, a – hopefully – welcome back bouquet.
The Dodgers had a rough start in a hot and muggy Atlanta, losing the first two games of the series and forced to use their bullpen for 9 1/3 innings.
To the rescue Wednesday came right-hander Mike Bolsinger, who enjoyed his best start in over a month to lead the Dodgers to a 3-1 victory over the Braves at Turner Field.
The Dodgers were doing even less with Atlanta right-hander Julio Teheran early on. Teheran struck out seven in the first three innings and had held the Dodgers scoreless on one infield hit heading into the fifth.
But catcher Yasmani Grandal, starting for the first time since taking that hard foul ball to the mask Sunday in Washington, opened the fifth with a double and Teheran was headed for trouble.
Carl Crawford, in the lineup for the first time since tearing an oblique muscle April 27, grounded out to move Grandal to third, and Alberto Callaspo singled to score him and tie the game at 1-1.
Rollins, who was hitless in 19 at-bats since the break and batting .204, doubled to score Callaspo with the go-ahead run. Joc Pederson singled in Rollins.
The Dodgers managed only one more hit the rest of the day, but their one-inning outburst was enough for Bolsinger.
Bolsinger (5-3) went seven innings, holding the Braves to the one run on three hits and a walk. His curve again sharp, he struck out four and lowered his ERA to 2.79.
The only run he allowed came in the third inning after Andrelton Simmons dropped a soft single and Rollins let a ball slip off his glove for an error. After a sacrifice bunt, Simmons scored when Cameron Maybin grounded out to short.
Otherwise, Bolsinger was in total control. It was the first time he went seven innings in a start since June 8. In his seven starts since, he had gone 0-2 with a 4.28 ERA. Not terrible, certainly, but possibly enough to make the Dodgers nervous.
With Brandon Beachy struggling in his comeback and sent back to the minors and Brett Anderson suffering an Achilles’ injury Tuesday, a strong start by Bolsinger Wednesday was everything the Dodgers could have hoped for.
Juan Nicasio added a perfect eighth and Kenley Jansen a scoreless ninth to earn his 17th save.
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