Dodgers defeat the Braves, 5-1
As he’d done during Tony Gonsolin’s previous two starts this year, left-hander Tyler Anderson began throwing pitches in the bullpen during the early innings Wednesday.
This time, however, the Dodgers had no need for the bulk reliever.
In a 5-1 win against the Atlanta Braves, Gonsolin was dealing.
After two solid but short starts to begin the season, Gonsolin produced one of his best career performances in Wednesday’s matinee.
He pitched six scoreless innings, effectively managing his pitch count in what was his longest start since 2020. He carried a no-hitter through five innings, facing more than the three minimum batters in a frame only twice.
And on a day the Dodgers (9-3) announced fellow starter Andrew Heaney was being placed on the injured list with left shoulder discomfort — creating an opening in the starting rotation Anderson is the likeliest candidate to fill — Gonsolin alleviated some of the concern by silencing a talented Braves lineup and helping the Dodgers clinch the series with a rubber-match win.
Gonsolin followed a simple recipe Wednesday. Despite struggling to locate his fastball, he attacked the Braves (6-8) with his secondary pitches, inducing weak ground balls and soft contact in the air with an assortment of sliders, splitters and curveballs.
We go to the ninth, Dodgers 5, Braves 0
Brusdar Graterol comes in to pitch the seventh for the Dodgers. Marcell Ozuna grounded to third. Adam Duvall flied to right. Eddie Rosario struck out swinging.
Mookie Betts walked on six pitches to lead off the bottom half. Freddie Freeman singled to right, Betts to second. Trea Turner struck out swinging. Max Muncy flied to left. Justin Turner singled to center, Betts scoring, Freeman to second. Will Smith flied to center.
In the top of the eighth, Mitch White came in to pitch. Orlando Arcia walked on five pitches. Pinch-hitter Alex Dickerson grounded into a 6-4-3 double play. Manny Piña popped to second.
Left-hander Will Smith comes in to pitch for Atlanta. Cody Bellinger struck out swinging. Chris Taylor walked on five pitches. Hanser Alberto, batting for Ríos, hit a pop fly to shallow short. Dansby Swanson ran about 10 miles and made a diving, over-the-shoulder circus catch. Great, great play. Mookie Betts grounded to third.
Score after eight: Dodgers 5, Braves 0
Cody Bellinger’s triples in a run, Dodgers lead 4-0
Manny Piña led off the sixth with an infield single, ending the no-hit bid. Dansby Swanson grounded into a double play. Oscar Albies walked and Matt Olson popped to short. Six scoreless innings for Tony Gonsolin.
In the bottom half, Justin Turner grounded to second. Will Smith walked. Cody Bellinger tripled down the right-field line. It’s 4-0 Dodgers. That’s it for Charlie Morton. Collin McHugh is now pitching. Chris Taylor struck out swinging. Ríos struck out swinging.
Score after six: Dodgers 4, Braves 0
Edwin Ríos extends Dodgers lead to 3-0
In the top of the fourth, Ozzie Albies lined to second, Matt Olson flied to left and Marcell Ozuna walked. Adam Duvall struck out swinging.
Will Smith grounded to first to lead off the bottom of the fourth. Cody Bellinger flied to center, Chris Taylor lined to center.
The Braves went three up, three down in the fifth.
After five innings, Tony Gonsolin has given up no hits and two walks. He has struck out three and thrown 63 pitches.
Edwin Ríos led off the bottom of the fifth with a home run. His first of the season. Mookie Betts flied to center. Freddie Freeman singled to left. Trea Turner forced Freeman.
Dodgers lead 2-0 through three
In the top of the second, Eddie Rosario walked with one out but was erased when Orlando Arcia grounded into a double play.
Tony Gonsolin has made 27 pitches through two innings, which is good for him.
In the bottom of the inning, Cody Bellinger doubled to left-center, Chris Taylor grounded to the pitcher, Edwin Ríos and Mookie Betts struck out.
The Braves were retired in order in the top of the third. And the Dodgers left Max Muncy stranded after he drew a two-out walk in the bottom of the inning.
Score after three: Dodgers 2, Braves 0
Dodgers take quick lead on Freddie Freeman’s homer
After Tony Gonsolin retired the Braves in order in the top of the first, Mookie Betts led off the bottom of the inning with a single to right. Freddie Freeman followed with his second home run of the season, and his second home run against his former team.
Trea Turner walked. Max Muncy popped to third. Justin Turner flied to center. Will Smith struck out looking.
Score after one inning: Dodgers 2, Braves 0
Today’s starting lineups
Dodgers place Andrew Heaney on injured list; Gavin Lux out again
After staying relatively healthy the first couple weeks of the season, the Dodgers suddenly have a couple key players dealing with injuries.
On Wednesday afternoon, the team placed pitcher Andrew Heaney on the injured list with discomfort in his left throwing shoulder, derailing what had been a strong start to his season.
Outfielder Zach McKinstry was recalled in a corresponding move.
Through two starts this year, Heaney had 16 strikeouts and had yet to give up an earned run in 10 1/3 innings, benefitting from a new breaking ball and refined mechanics he’d been working on with the Dodgers staff since signing with the team this offseason.
Heaney was scheduled to start again on Saturday against the San Diego Padres.
The Dodgers will also be without Gavin Lux for a second-straight game Wednesday as he continues to deal with a stiff back.
Manager Dave Roberts said Lux was feeling better, and hoped the infielder would be available to return to the lineup Friday.
With Lux out, the Dodgers had Edwin Ríos in the lineup instead for the series finale against the Atlanta Braves.
Dodgers’ Clayton Kershaw has a doppelganger in single A
Will Dion was a high school sophomore pitcher in Louisiana struggling to throw strikes when his pitching coach had an idea.
The coach, Jared Gothreaux, placed a box by Dion’s feet. He instructed Dion to put his right foot on it after lifting his leg up and pause before continuing his delivery to the plate. The point was to slow Dion down. Dion, a left-hander, did the drill until it became habit. Then came the final steps: removing the box and executing the delivery in one fluid motion.
One day, a friend noticed something: Dion’s new look was identical to Clayton Kershaw’s famous hitchy windup.
“I was like, ‘Huh?’” Dion said in a phone interview Tuesday. “I went home, watched some video, and I was like, ‘Oh, my God.’”
Kenley Jansen retires Freddie Freeman for save in return to Dodger Stadium
Some fans cheered. Others booed. Almost everyone in attendance, however, were out of their seats, standing to get a glimpse of a sight Dodger Stadium had never seen.
Kenley Jansen made his return to the mound in Chavez Ravine on Tuesday night, entering from the visitors’ right-field bullpen and toeing the rubber in another team’s uniform for the first time in his career.
“California Love” wasn’t blaring from the speakers. A fanbase that had cheered (and sometimes booed) him the last 12 years offered only a mixed ovation.
But Jansen earned the save against his former Dodgers team anyway, completing the Atlanta Braves’ 3-1 win in fitting fashion — inducing a fly ball from former Braves star Freddie Freeman to end the game.
How to watch and stream the Dodgers this season
Here’s a look at the Dodgers TV and streaming schedule for the 2022 season: