The visiting Los Angeles Dodgers will try to continue their mastery over the Atlanta Braves when they meet Saturday in the second contest of their three-game series.
The Dodgers won the opener 2-1 on Friday to extend their winning streak to six games. Los Angeles has won all four contests against the Braves this season.
“Every win is big but especially coming off an off day,” Dodgers shortstop Mookie Betts said. “Coming into Truist Park you know the Braves are going to be ready to roll and they’ve been playing good baseball.”
The pitching matchup features a pair of right-handers – Los Angeles’ Roki Sasaki (0-1, 3.55) vs. Atlanta’s Spencer Schwellenbach (1-2, 2.87).
Sasaki will be making his seventh start. In his most recent start on April 26, he threw 5 2/3 innings and allowed a season-high three runs on five hits, two walks and four strikeouts in an 8-4 win over Pittsburgh. Sasaki has never faced the Braves.
Facing 10 straight games with a day of rest on this road trip and their starting rotation in flux – Blake Snell and Tyler Glasnow are dealing with shoulder issues and Clayton Kershaw isn’t ready to return from offseason toe and knee surgeries – the Dodgers may start Sasaki and Yoshinobu Yamamoto on five days of rest. They have been working once a week with six days of rest.
“That’s a conversation,” Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said. “We did it with Yamamoto last year, right around this time. It’s another thought as far as given the amount of games we have in a row to have them have less rest in between starts.”
Schwellenbach will make his seventh start and is seeking his first win since April 4. Schwellenbach took the loss in his last outing on April 27 at Arizona when he allowed four runs (three earned) over six innings in a 6-4 loss to the Diamondbacks.
“I think it’s just telling yourself that you did what you were trying to do,” Schwellenbach said. “If you think of it that way, then the results don’t really matter. I mean, they do, but at the end of the day, you’ve got to be able to learn and leave this stuff in the past and make sure the next one’s better.”
Schwellenbach’s control has been excellent. In 37 2/3 innings, he has allowed 31 hits, walked six and struck out 33. He has not faced the Dodgers this season, but won his lone start against them as a rookie in 2024 when he threw six strong innings, allowing two runs and striking out six in a 6-2 victory.
The Dodgers managed just four hits on Friday – two from Betts, including his first home run since April 14. Atlanta’s Matt Olson hit his fifth homer on Friday and extended his on-base streak to 19 consecutive games.
The Dodgers played their second game without Tommy Edman, who sprained his right ankle on Tuesday.
-Field Level Media
