Max Fried dominant as Atlanta Braves even series with Dodgers

The Atlanta Braves and Los Angeles Dodgers continued their three-game set at Dodger Stadium on Tuesday night with the Braves looking to even up the series at one game apiece.

After dropping game one of the series, the Atlanta Braves would send Max Fried to the mound to try to keep Atlanta from dropping a second straight game against the Dodgers and a third straight overall.

The Dodgers countered with Walker Buehler, setting up a big-time pitching matchup in which runs figured to be at a premium.

Travis d’Arnaud got the scoring started for the evening when he ambushed a first-pitch fastball from Buehler and drove it into the Dodgers bullpen in left field for a solo home run, giving the Braves something that they hadn’t had in a couple of games, a lead.

The Braves tacked on a single run in both the top of the fourth and fifth innings, taking a 3-0 lead through five.

And at that point, the Braves were feeling pretty good because Max Fried was dealing.

Fried set down the first fifteen Dodgers that he faced and Los Angeles didn’t produce their first base runner of the game until the sixth inning when Hanser Alberto led off the bottom of the frame with a single to right.

Fried wasted no time bouncing back by striking out Cody Bellinger and getting Austin Barnes to hit into a 6-4-3 double play, ending the Dodger sixth.

Max finished his outing with a flourish by striking out the side in the seventh and turned the game over to the vaunted Braves bullpen to get the final six outs.

And the Braves bullpen did exactly that as Tyler Matzek surrendered a run, but ultimately turned the Dodgers away in the eighth.

In a Hollywood-type ending, Kenley Jansen put away Freddie Freeman for the third and final out of the ninth, sealing the win for the Braves.

The Atlanta Braves beat the Los Angeles Dodgers 3-1 on Tuesday night.

There were a number of good things happening for the Braves tonight.

Max Fried was dominant, striking out eight Dodgers over seven innings while giving up only two hits and not surrendering a walk.  Fried faced only one batter over the minimum while picking up his first win of the young season.

Riley, Albies, d’Arnaud, and Arcia all had multi-hit games, highlighted by Orlando Arcia going 3-4, with two doubles, a single, and just missing a three-run home run in the top of the 8th.

Ronald Acuna, Jr. played his first rehab game tonight in Jacksonville, Florida, and if all goes well is expected to rejoin the Atlanta Braves sometime in early May.

While Dansby Swanson has been abysmal at the plate thus far in 2022, he had a hustle infield single in the seventh that set the Braves up with first and third and no one out.  The Braves would fail to score but it was good to see Swanson isn’t letting his struggles at the plate leak over into other parts of his game.

This game also saw Freddie Freeman in Dodger uniform face Kenley Jansen in a Braves uniform……which is still just a little bit hard to believe.

The Braves will finish up the series with the Dodgers and their road trip tomorrow afternoon.  The first pitch is scheduled for 3:10 pm E.S.T. with Charlie Morton and Tony Gonsolin scheduled to get the start in the decisive game of the series.

With a win tomorrow the Braves can return home with a winning road trip and also make an early statement to the Dodgers by going into Los Angeles and taking two of three from the perennial World Series favorites.