Braves top Dodgers 4-3 in series finale
Tyler Glasnow struck out 7 in a 4-3 loss to Atlanta that ended a 4-1 stretch, while Shohei Ohtani inches toward a mound return with the Dodgers still 9.5 games clear atop the NL West.
Glasnow's 7 strikeouts not enough in Atlanta
Braves3-4The Dodgers lost 4-3 to the Braves on August 25, a game that snapped a four-game winning streak and closed out the series in Atlanta. Tyler Glasnow allowed 3 earned runs on 6 hits over 5.0 innings, striking out 7 without a walk, but the bullpen and offense couldn't hold the line the rest of the way.
It was the lone blemish in an otherwise strong stretch — the Dodgers are 4-1 in their last five, having swept a three-game set from the Pirates by scores of 5-4, 4-3 and 4-0 after opening the run with a 6-4 win over Colorado. At 80-52, Los Angeles remains 9.5 games clear of San Diego atop the NL West.
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Shohei Ohtani could start on the mound this weekend in Detroit, according to Jon Morosi of MLB Network. Manager Dave Roberts called it a "possibility" for Sunday, with the Dodgers' weekend pitching plans hinging on whether Ohtani throws a bullpen session or faces live hitters in Atlanta on Wednesday, per Morosi.
Will Smith is also progressing, starting a rehab assignment and catching five innings for Triple-A Oklahoma City on Tuesday night, per David Vassegh of AM 570 LA Sports — part of a report from MLB Trade Rumors that Ohtani could be back pitching for the club within a week. Andy Pages, meanwhile, had a compression screw inserted into his fractured left hand Sunday in an attempt to speed his recovery, according to Fabian Ardaya of The Athletic.
The Dodgers' local-TV deal is a profound competitive advantage. Because of a bankruptcy-court ruling, the team will shield more than $1.3 billion from rev sharing over 25 years. What you might not know: They further monetized it through debt deals with Mark Walter-owned insurers.
Upcoming
Roki Sasaki (5-5, 4.42 ERA) starts for the Dodgers as the Dodgers are in Atlanta tonight, opposed by Braves right-hander AJ Smith-Shawver (0-0, 6.23 ERA). Sasaki's last outing was a no-decision against Colorado, working 5.0 innings with 6 strikeouts and 7 hits allowed; Smith-Shawver's last start against Minnesota lasted just 4.1 innings and cost him 4 earned runs.
Los Angeles is favored to close out the trip on a winning note, with the market pricing a middling total for the finale — a reasonable read given Sasaki's control and a Braves lineup that's already pushed one series win against this rotation. A repeat of Sasaki's shaky command from his last start would open the door for the total to climb.