The Los Angeles Dodgers scored emphatically first in a clash between the NL favorites early in the season.
Buoyed by two home runs from Shohei Ohtani, the Dodgers beat the Atlanta Braves 5-1 on Sunday. The victory completed a three-game sweep over the Braves in the first meeting of the season between the NL’s top contenders.
Los Angeles secured the series opener on Friday with a 4-3 victory in 11 innings and then defeated Atlanta with an 11-2 victory on Saturday.
On Sunday, Ohtani started the scoring with a two-run home run off Braves ace Max Fried in the first inning.
He then capped the scoring with a solo shot in the ninth to secure the 5-1 victory.
With the win, the Dodgers improved to 23-13 and increased their lead in the NL West to five games over the second-place San Diego Padres. The Braves fell to 20-12 with the sweep and two games behind the first-place Philadelphia Phillies in the NL East.
Sunday’s victory capped off a sensational run by Ohtani, who recorded three total home runs and held the Dodgers to Friday’s extra-inning victory with an RBI single in the 10th inning.
Ohtani finished Sunday’s game 4-for-4 at the plate with two home runs, three RBI and two runs scored. The Dodgers tagged Fried with four earned runs in seven innings, giving him his first loss of the season in seven starts. Fried is now 2-1 with a 4.23 ERA.
Ohtani hit one of the Dodgers’ five home runs Saturday as Los Angeles defeated Braves All-Star Bryce Elder for seven earned runs on seven hits, three home runs and four walks in 3 1/3 innings. Max Muncy recorded three home runs in the 11-2 victory.
Ohtani had a sensational start with the Dodgers
For the series, Ohtani went 8 for 12 at the plate with three home runs, six RBI, five runs scored, three walks and two stolen bases. Through 35 games in his first season with the Dodgers, Ohtani is now slashing .364/.685 with 10 home runs, 25 RBI and seven stolen bases. His batting average and home run count were tied for the best in baseball after Sunday’s victory.
This story will be updated.
