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There was the former Dodgers closer, blowing a preserve versus his previous staff.
There was the Braves just one-time closer, also faltering in opposition to his previous group in a video game at Truist Park on Sunday that dragged deep into the night.
And, of program, there was the prolonged-time Braves hero, burning his aged club at the finish of an emotional reunion weekend back in this town.
In the conclusion, neither Kenley Jansen nor Craig Kimbrel nor even Freddie Freeman have been portion of the sequence that eventually decided the Dodgers’ 5-3 more-innings win — with Chris Taylor and Trea Turner in its place giving the go-forward RBIs to support the Dodgers choose two out of three games in opposition to their Nationwide League nemesis.
It was the Dodgers’ to start with win in more innings just after five losses.
But in a series that was all about Freeman’s return to Atlanta, and incredibly perfectly may well have served as a preview of a third straight postseason conference involving the groups this fall, it was much too fitting that all three common faces showcased prominently in acquiring the recreation to 11 innings.
“We all know that these are two great teams,” Freeman said, “that have a genuine good probability of meeting yet again.”
In the beginning, it seemed as if Sunday’s series finale would not even arrive at the bottom of the ninth.
Inspite of a stable 5 2/3-inning, just one-run get started from Tony Gonsolin — who reclaimed the very best Era in the majors at 1.58 soon after requalifying with the league’s least-innings threshold — the Dodgers’ offense was retained tranquil for eight innings.
Braves starter Spencer Strider shut them out for the 1st six. A few Braves relievers put together for scoreless innings in the seventh and eighth.
Moving into the ninth, the Dodgers were being hitless in 7 at-bats with runners in scoring situation.
And the result seemed so specific, that as he walked off the industry a half-inning earlier, Freeman experienced tears in his eyes — seemingly believing his psychological homecoming was about to occur to an end.
“I’m emotionally drained,” Freeman claimed. “It exceeded all my expectations.”
Freddie Freeman reacts to a standing ovation as he requires his initial at-bat from the Braves on Sunday.
(Bob Andres / Associated Press)
It lasted a little lengthier than he was anticipating also.
In lookup of his next straight help save in opposition to the Dodgers in the ninth, Jansen recorded two fast strikeouts ahead of acquiring into problems.
Gavin Lux strike a line-travel one to right. Taylor lined a foundation hit to still left, then stole next.
Then, with the Dodgers (45-26) down to their remaining strike, Trayce Thompson — who had been included to the lineup late immediately after Zach McKinstry was scratched due to the fact of neck stiffness — strike a floater that just grazed the major of Matt Olson’s glove at 1st foundation, falling securely in shallow correct discipline to rating both of those operates.
“[I had] no clue,” Thompson mentioned of the strike, which he to begin with imagined had been fouled off, on the lookout all around higher than him as the ball drifted the other way. “Was just hoping to go up there and compete. Content it dropped for confident.”
Trayce Thompson hits a two-operate single for the Dodgers during the ninth inning Sunday against the Braves.
(Bob Andres / Related Press)
Freeman pretty much delivered a storybook ending in the 10th, hitting a leadoff RBI double down the line that gave his new crew a 3-2 direct while silencing his old admirers, who welcomed him to the plate at the start of the game with a loud ovation in advance of booing him in vital moments the rest of the night.
“Getting booed at Truist Park, I didn’t see that a person coming at all in my daily life,” explained Freeman, who went four for 12 in the sequence.
“But it is Ok. They’re amazing baseball lovers. They treatment about their team. So I was variety of anticipating that at some place.”
Kimbrel, yet another previous Braves star, could not shield the lead. Two pitches into the base of the 10th, Olson lined a foundation hit to center that knotted the score once again. William Contreras arrived shut to going for walks it off afterwards in the inning but watched a deep fly ball to heart die at the warning observe for the remaining out.
That kept the recreation alive for Taylor and Turner in the 11th. Taylor strike an RBI double that was deflected alongside the foul line by Austin Riley at 3rd base. Turner tacked on an insurance policies run with a foundation hit up the center.
In the base of the 11th, Brusdar Graterol was summoned and converted his first career typical-time help you save, touching 102.5 mph with his fastball inspite of pitching in opposition to the Braves (42-32) for a 3rd straight day.
“That was pretty the match, quite the sequence,” supervisor Dave Roberts explained. “The way they deployed pitching, we deployed pitching and just form of each perform felt like a postseason video game, it seriously did.”
It might not be the past time it feels that way involving the Dodgers and Braves this yr, both.
“That staff, [there’s] a very good opportunity they are heading to be there at the finish of the 12 months,” Taylor explained. “To grind 1 out and acquire a single that way, numerous men contributing, kind of chipping away, that was a excellent workforce gain for us.”
