The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Braves tie it in 9th,but falter
Adams’ three-run HR forces extra innings before loss in the 10th.
LOS ANGELES — The Braves shocked the Dodgers and their closer, Kenley Jansen, with a three-run ninth inning Sunday, capped by Matt Adams’ two-out homer that erased a 4-1 deficit and sent the game to extra innings at Dodger Stadium.
But the Dodgers have the best record in the majors for a reason, and they won 5-4 on Logan Forsythe’s bases-loaded walk-off single in the 10th inning against Jim Johnson to split the four-game series. That extended their major league record to 46 consecutive wins in games in which they led at any point.
“Today’s a tough one,” Adams said. “It is what it is, but we played good all series. We got good pitching, played good defense and our offense came to play this series. So I think as long as we continue to play like this, we’re going to be in a good spot.”
Chris Taylor led off the Dodgers’ 10th inning with a single against Johnson, who next induced a fielder’s choice grounder from Corey Seager, with Seager safe at first after Taylor’s hard slide at second base. Justin Turner followed with a single and Cody Bellinger was walked intentionally to bring up Forsythe with bases loaded.
Forsythe’s ground-ball single up
the middle ended it, and “I Love L.A.” blasted from the speakers as soon as thewinning run crossed the plate.
The late-innings drama overshadowed an eventful outing for Braves rookie Sean New comb in his eighth major league start. Therewas good news: He allowed only three hits, had a career-high nine strikeouts in six innings and retired the last nine batters he faced, including six via strikeouts.
And there was bad news: Newcomb issued a careerhigh five walks, including consecutive walks to start the fourth inning, before Austin Barnes hit a threerun homer on an 0-2 fastball to turn an early Braves lead into a 3-1 defificit.
“He ended up the last two innings about as good as you can get,” Braves manager Brian Snitker said. “He’s a young pitcher andhe’s learning. He went up against some really good ballclubs lately and held his own and given us a chance. Thehomer, you can live with that; he hooked it around the pole. But the walks leading up to that are what hurt.
“He’ll learn from it. He regrouped really well.… Just going to have to live with (some walks), because he’s learning. But that stuff is really good. His upside is really good and he’s getting some unbelievable experience right now.”
Newcomb retired every batter he faced after Barnes’ home run.
“I was pretty aggressive. That’s what kind of gets me in my groove a little bit,” Newcomb said. “Once he hit that home run, I kind of got a little ticked (off), kind of took that into my next two innings. I was probably more mad about those two walks before the home run, but I executed the pitch I wanted
to (Barnes). He just got to that fastball inside and dida good piece of hitting right there.
“You kind of tip your cap and move on. But those two walks still kind of irritate me right now.”
Dodgers ace Clayton Kershaw left after two innings with back tightness, and the Braves could muster only two hits and one run in the next six innings against five Dodgers relievers. But the bats awakened in the ninth against a dominant closer, Jansen.
“Their bull penis so deep,” Snitker said. “And then they get a three-run lead with that guy on the mound. It says a lot about our character to come back and tie the game .”
Singles from Freddie Freeman and Matt Kempstarted the ninth inning before Nick Markakis and Tyler Flowers flied out.
The Braves were down to their last out with the potential tying run at the plate in the imposing Adams, who crushed a 1-1 cut fastball, quieting a crowd of 44,701 with a towering fly to the right-field corner seats to tie the score.
Jansen had a 0.88 ERA, .151 opponents’ average, four earned runs allowed and 24 of 24 save opportunities converted before Sunday. The
Braves tagged himfor three runs on three hits, including the third homer he’s allowed all season.
“Like I said when I first got over here, it’s just fun to be a part of a club like this,” said Adams, who has 16 home runs, including 15 since being traded from St. Louis on May 20. “I think it shows that no matter who’s out on the mound, what team we’re going up against, we never give up until that last out’s recorded. Today was a good example of that.”
But it wasn’t enough. The Braves showed plenty in fighting back in hostile territory, but lost for the fifth time in seven games in a difficult stretch against the Cubs and Dodgers.
After the Braves gave hima 1-0 lead, New comb protected it for one inning before command issues flflared again.
After flirting with disaster by walking Forsy the and K ike Hernandez to start the fourth inning, New comb gave up the homer to Barnes in the left- fifield corner. The Dodgers added a run in the eighth on Bellinger’s towering twoout homer off Rex Brothers, a run that proved crucial.
New comb had his fifth quality start in eight major league games and his first since June 27.