ATLANTA — The Braves have spent weeks trying to produce a turning point; a victory, sequence or event that propels them into the summer feeling more like their old selves.
Maybe defeating Clayton Kershaw and Trevor Bauer in consecutive days is just that.
Behind starter Max Fried and just enough offense, the Braves beat the Dodgers 4-2 at Truist Park on Sunday afternoon to win the best-of-three series.
The Braves had six hits against Bauer, including three doubles. They struck first on Abraham Almonte’s double that scored Dansby Swanson in the second. In the following frame, Freddie Freeman walked and scored on Ozzie Albies’ double to make it 2-0. Ender Inciarte’s RBI single in the sixth and sacrifice fly in the ninth added further insurance.
Bauer hadn’t allowed more than five hits in a start this season. The Braves tagged him for three runs, the second-highest total he’s surrendered in an outing (the highest total, four, occurred at Coors Field).
Fried outdueled Bauer, the reigning National League Cy Young winner. Fried, facing the Dodgers for the first time since the 2020 NL Championship Series, resembled his form of a season ago. He held the Dodgers to one run on six hits over six innings. He struck out four and didn’t issue a walk.
Fried started to run out of gas in the final two frames. He escaped sixth-inning danger by coaxing Albert Pujols into a flyout in left-field foul territory with two Dodgers in scoring position. He left with two runners on and none out in the seventh, but A.J. Minter retired the next three on quiet flyouts.
It was a timely series win for the Braves, who are trying to generate momentum during a crucial June slate. The Braves and Dodgers won’t see each other again until the Braves travel to Southern California at August’s end. The Braves will have the chance to win a season series over Los Angeles for the first time since 2013.
As for the immediate future, the Braves are off Monday before beginning a six-game road trip within the NL East. They’ll start a three-game series in Philadelphia on Tuesday and face the Marlins in Miami next weekend.
