Los Angeles Dodgers gain momentum to defeat Atlanta Braves 4-2 – MLB Update
The Los Angeles Dodgers made a perfect come-back after shattering a five-game losing streak on Sunday, April 17 as the club clinched their second-straight triumph overpowering league rival the Atlanta Braves 4-2 at Dodgers Stadium in California.
The Dodgers started with a positive attitude as the starter did not allow any hit in top of the first inning and then the batters added three runs with bat. Matt Kemp opened the account with a RBI single. James Loney carried the lead to 3-0 with a RBI double
in the same inning.
The Dodgers’ starter Ted Lilly utilised this lead and sent the opposition’s batters into problems with his fast un-playable pitches. The 35-year-old tossed five scoreless innings, allowed just four hits and walked two to achieve his first win of the season
after joining the club last year in October. Jerry Sands made the outing easier for Lilly driving an RBI single and widened the lead to 4-0. Lilly made six strike-outs and managed his record to 2-1 with a 4.09 ERA.
The same kind of performance came from Matt Guerrier, who relieved Lilly in the eighth inning and remained hitless in his short one inning spell. However, the Dodgers might have gone into trouble with the pitches of closer Jonathan Broxton as he received
three hits in the final inning. Broxton, who has five saves in this season, allowed two runs on an RBI by Freddie Freeman and double by Nate McLouth.
The Braves’ starter Tim Hudson allowed four hits, but made a promising come-back in the later innings. The Dodgers had achieved a four runs lead until the third inning, but Hudson recuperated brilliantly and held them to no-score in his remaining three innings.
Reliever Jairo Asencio accompanied Hudson and did not consumed any run in his two innings.
However, Jairo consumed a single to Andre Ethier in seventh inning that made his hitting streak to 15 games, the longest current streak in the Majors. Ethier could not touch the pitches of Hudson in his first three at-bats, but utilised the chance provided
by Asencio hitting to left-field.
Both teams will meet for their second game at the current venue on Tuesday, April 19. The Dodgers have scheduled their top pitcher Hiroki Kuroda to face off the Braves starter Brandon Beachy. Kuroda has more chances to make this win as he has 2-1 record
with a 3.48 ERA while Beachy is still looking for win in this season with a 5.19 ERA.
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