Projected to be two of the top teams in the National League, if not the major leagues, there was little to separate the Los Angeles Dodgers and visiting Atlanta Braves after one game of their current series.
The Dodgers earned the 4-3 victory in 11 innings Friday on an RBI bloop single from rookie Andy Pages, who delivered a career-best four hits in his 15th major league game. Los Angeles has won nine of its past 11 games.
“I mean, they have pretty good pitching and we have pretty good pitching (with) good offenses,” said the Dodgers’ Teoscar Hernandez, when asked about the teams being evenly matched. “We’re pretty close. But you know, I’m always going to say we’re better than them.”
When the teams meet again Saturday in Los Angeles, the Dodgers will send new staff ace Tyler Glasnow to the mound. Some high-level pitching talent is lining up behind Glasnow and soon will be ready to contribute.
Walker Buehler (elbow) is scheduled start for the Dodgers on Monday against the Miami Marlins for his first outing in 23 months. Hard-throwing right-hander Bobby Miller (shoulder) will be next to move back into the rotation, and future Hall of Fame member Clayton Kershaw (shoulder) is on track to return after the All-Star break.
Glasnow (5-1, 2.72 ERA), who was a trade addition from the Tampa Bay Rays in the offseason, will remain as the ace of the staff even when the rotation is fully loaded again. In back-to-back outings against the New York Mets and Toronto Blue Jays, Glasnow gave up one combined run with 19 strikeouts.
“I think as each day passes, he gets more and more comfortable,” Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said. “And I still think there’s more in there. It’s going to be exciting to see.”
Glasnow, a right-hander, has three career starts against the Braves, going 0-1 with a 2.30 ERA. In a July outing for the Rays last season against the Braves, he gave up just one run but still took the loss in a 2-1 defeat.
The Braves lost for the fourth time in their past six games Friday but three of those setbacks have been by a single run. The other was a 4-2 defeat to the Cleveland Guardians last Saturday in 11 innings.
There were more signs the Braves’ slow-starting offense was ready to emerge. Austin Riley belted a home run after he had a two-hit, two-RBI game at Seattle on Wednesday. Ronald Acuna Jr. also went deep, just his second home run of the season. He entered with a .213 slugging percentage over his previous eight games.
“He’s still doing OK,” Braves manager Brian Snitker said of Acuna before Friday’s game. “He’s adding a lot to what we are doing. He is scoring a lot of runs, making plays and got a few hits the other day. He is going to be fine.”
The Braves will send right-hander Bryce Elder (1-0, 1.50) to the mound Saturday. An All-Star last season, Elder is making just his third start after opening the season at Triple-A Gwinnett.
In two starts against the Dodgers last season, Elder gave up two total runs in 12 innings but had a pair of no-decisions. One of those runs came on a Mookie Betts home run last May.
–Field Level Media