ATLANTA — The Atlanta Braves used to have a bodysuit-and-goggles clad sprinter dubbed “The Freeze” spot a lucky fan a big headstart then race around the warning track at Truist Park to run him down.
With their starting pitching staggering as much as some of those selected fans, the Dodgers’ offense has been facing the same challenge nearly every night lately.
Freddie Freeman hit a three-run home run against his former team and J.D. Martinez had four hits, including two home runs, as the Dodgers absorbed yet another less-than-quality start to beat the Atlanta Braves, 8-6, Monday night.
Over their past seven games, the Dodgers have scored 48 runs while crossing their fingers and hoping for five innings from a starting pitcher.
Making his second major-league start, rookie right-hander Gavin Stone got a rough welcome by the Braves. He faced nine hitters in the first inning, gave up four hits including a three-run home run by Eddie Rosario and walked two. Stone’s growing pains left the Dodgers wearing a 4-0 deficit.
Stone settled in over the next three innings, allowing just one more hit and a walk and getting double-play ground balls to erase both.
Tensions were heightened in the fourth inning when Braves DH Marcell Ozuna hit Dodgers catcher Will Smith in the head with a long, loopy backswing. Smith missed two weeks with a concussion earlier this season and let Ozuna know he wasn’t interested in getting another. That led to a confrontation near home plate after Ozuna’s fly out and again before his next at-bat.
The Dodgers chipped away against Charlie Morton. Martinez hit a solo home run in the second inning and the Dodgers scored two to make it a one-run game in the fourth. Freeman led off with a double, went to third on a flyout then scored on a ground out to first.
With two outs, Martinez singled and scored on a triple by David Peralta to make it a one-run game, 4-3.
Braves fans greeted Freeman with another ovation before the first at-bat of his re-return to Atlanta. They were less fond of him after the fifth inning.
Miguel Rojas led off with a single, Mookie Betts walked and Freeman launched a 1-and-2 curveball from Morton high in the air and into the right field seats to give the Dodgers the lead.
Stone didn’t handle prosperity well. He started the fifth inning with eight consecutive balls, walking Ronald Acuña Jr. and Matt Olson. Acuna went all the way to third base on Olson’s walk with Max Muncy reacting too late.
That was it for Stone and it took excellent defensive plays by Rojas and James Outman behind Evan Phillips to escape with the lead intact, the tying and go-ahead runs stranded in scoring position.
The Dodgers stretched the lead back out with an RBI single by Betts in the sixth and Martinez’s fourth hit and second home run of the game in the seventh.
