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Dodgers Recap: Huge Win In Game One of NLDS Vs. Atlanta

The Los Angeles Dodgers and Atlanta Braves squared off in Tinseltown for an enormous game one of the 2018 National League Division Series. Despite the Dodgers being a heavy favorite in this game and series – unrest remained amongst some Dodgers fans all day long.

However, the defending National League Champions had our backs on this night. They won by a commanding margin of 6-0. This is how it unfolded.



The Offense:

Los Angeles used a combination of long balls (three) and walks (eight) to attack the Braves pitching staff.

The Dodgers didn’t wait long to get on the board. Notably, Joc Pederson deposited a Mike Foltynewicz fastball into the right field pavilion, giving the Dodgers a 1-0 lead, and calm to a home crowd.

The blast was Pederson’s fifth postseason home run of his career and fourth dating back to 2017.

Next up was the latest and greatest Dodgers’ postseason hero, Max Muncy. Still, some stress remained when Muncy climbed into the box with two men on. The Dodgers left the bases loaded in the first inning when Yasiel Puig struck out and led just 1-0. Nevertheless, the man known affectionately as ‘Max Max’ and a dozen other monikers got funky on one. And oh yes, he knew he got all of it.

The Dodgers led 4-0 from there, and the Braves quickly retreated to left-handed pitcher Sean Newcomb.

If there was an exclamation point, Kiké Hernandez unloaded on a Brad Brach change-up that gave Los Angeles a 5-0 lead in the bottom of the 6th.

A David Freese sac-fly in the bottom of the 8th gave the Dodgers their sixth and final run of the evening.

The Pitching:

Hyun-Jin Ryu remained as splendid on Thursday night as he was during down the stretch of the regular season. His biggest hiccup through the first four innings was walking off the mound with two outs in the fourth inning. After a short laugh – Ryu struck out Nick Markakis promptly to end the inning.

In the fifth inning, the Braves got a few on with back to back singles from Ender Inciarte and Charlie Culberson. With two outs, Puig made a great running catch in right field to prevent any damage. The commercial rolled as ‘California Dreaming’ played heading into a commercial. I won’t lie – it was a good feeling and a huge sigh of relief.

Ryu’s final line: Seven shutout innings, four hits, eight strikeouts, no walks, all on 104 pitches. The crowd chanted ‘Ryu, Ryu, Ryu’ emphatically. This is a night to be remembered forever for the 31-year old Korean hurler. Undeniably, it appears the Dodgers pushed the right button in starting Ryu game one.

Caleb Ferguson threw a scoreless eighth with two strikeouts. Alex Wood took over in the ninth to collect two outs before allowing back-t0-back singles. Then, Dylan Floro recorded the 27th out in relaxed fashion to complete the shutout.

Looking Ahead

Game two of the NLDS kicks off tomorrow at 6:37 Los Angeles time, as Clayton Kershaw will oppose Anibal Sanchez. It’s an opportunity for the Dodgers to put a stronghold on this series before heading to Atlanta for game three on Sunday. The Braves seemed willing to turn the game over to left-handed relief to neutralize the Dodgers lineup. It will remain interesting to see if there is a quick hook on Sanchez should the Dodgers get off to a quick start against the veteran tomorrow night.

That said, the Dodgers once again delivered; and are 1-0 in postseason play in 2018. Today was a good day.

Dodgers Nation Staff Playoff Predictions

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