The Dodgers’ Mookie Betts, left, celebrates with teammate David Peralta as he returns to the dugout after hitting a three-run home run during the fifth inning of their game against the Atlanta Braves on Thursday night at Dodger Stadium. (Photo by Keith Birmingham, Pasadena Star-News/SCNG)
Dodgers starting pitcher Lance Lynn throws to the plate during the first inning of their game against the Atlanta Braves on Thursday night at Dodger Stadium. (Photo by Keith Birmingham, Pasadena Star-News/SCNG)
Dodgers starting pitcher Lance Lynn reacts after striking out the Atlanta Braves’ Matt Olson to end the first inning on Thursday night at Dodger Stadium. (Photo by Keith Birmingham, Pasadena Star-News/SCNG)
Atlanta Braves starting Pitcher Spencer Strider throws to the plate during the first inning of their game against the Dodgers on Thursday night at Dodger Stadium. (Photo by Keith Birmingham, Pasadena Star-News/SCNG)
The Dodgers’ Freddie Freeman singles during the first inning of their game against the Atlanta Braves on Thursday night at Dodger Stadium. (Photo by Keith Birmingham, Pasadena Star-News/SCNG)
The Dodgers’ Freddie Freeman, left, reacts toward his dugout after hitting a single as Atlanta Braves first baseman Matt Olsen, right, and Dodgers first base coach Clayton McCullough look on during the first inning on Thursday night at Dodger Stadium. (Photo by Keith Birmingham, Pasadena Star-News/SCNG)
The Dodgers’ Mookie Betts celebrates in the dugout after scoring on a fielders’ choice ground ball hit by Max Muncy (not pictured) during the first inning of their game against the Atlanta Braves on Thursday night at Dodger Stadium. (Photo by Keith Birmingham, Pasadena Star-News/SCNG)
The Atlanta Braves’ Orlando Arcia, right, beats the throw to Dodgers first baseman Freddie Freeman during the second inning on Thursday night at Dodger Stadium. (Photo by Keith Birmingham, Pasadena Star-News/SCNG)
The Atlanta Braves’ Ronald Acuna Jr. hits a grand slam during the second inning of their game against the Dodgers on Thursday night at Dodger Stadium. (Photo by Keith Birmingham, Pasadena Star-News/SCNG)
The Atlanta Braves’ Ronald Acuna Jr. follows through after hitting a grand slam during the second inning of their game against the Dodgers on Thursday night at Dodger Stadium. (Photo by Keith Birmingham, Pasadena Star-News/SCNG)
The Atlanta Braves’ Ronald Acuna Jr. hits a single during the first inning of their game against the Dodgers on Thursday night at Dodger Stadium. (Photo by Keith Birmingham, Pasadena Star-News/SCNG)
The Atlanta Braves’ Ronald Acuna Jr. gestures as he runs the bases after hitting a grand slam during the second inning of their game against the Dodgers on Thursday night at Dodger Stadium. (Photo by Keith Birmingham, Pasadena Star-News/SCNG)
The Atlanta Braves’ Ronald Acuna Jr., left, is congratulated by third base coach Ron Washington as he runs the bases after hitting a grand slam during the second inning of their game against the Dodgers on Thursday night at Dodger Stadium. (Photo by Keith Birmingham, Pasadena Star-News/SCNG)
Dodgers starting pitcher Lance Lynn reacts after giving up a grand slam to the Atlanta Braves’ Ronald Acuna Jr. during the second inning on Thursday night at Dodger Stadium. (Photo by Keith Birmingham, Pasadena Star-News/SCNG)
The Atlanta Braves’ Ronald Acuna Jr., right, celebrates after hitting a grand slam during the second inning of their game against the Dodgers on Thursday night at Dodger Stadium. (Photo by Keith Birmingham, Pasadena Star-News/SCNG)
The Atlanta Braves’ Ronald Acuna Jr. (13) celebrates with teammates after hitting a grand slam during the second inning of their game against the Dodgers on Thursday night at Dodger Stadium. (Photo by Keith Birmingham, Pasadena Star-News/SCNG)
The Atlanta Braves’ Ronald Acuna Jr., left, celebrates with teammates after hitting a grand slam during the second inning of their game against the Dodgers on Thursday night at Dodger Stadium. (Photo by Keith Birmingham, Pasadena Star-News/SCNG)
The Atlanta Braves’ Ronald Acuna Jr., right, is congratulated as he returns to the dugout after hitting a grand slam during the second inning of their game against the Dodgers on Thursday night at Dodger Stadium. (Photo by Keith Birmingham, Pasadena Star-News/SCNG)
Dodgers relief pitcher Alex Vesia reacts after getting the Atlanta Braves’ Eddie Rosario (not pictured) to ground into an inning-ending double play during the fifth inning on Thursday night at Dodger Stadium. (Photo by Keith Birmingham, Pasadena Star-News/SCNG)
Atlanta Braves right fielder Ronald Acuna Jr. leaps but can’t reach a ball hit for a three-run home run by the Dodgers’ Mookie Betts during the fifth inning on Thursday night at Dodger Stadium. (Photo by Keith Birmingham, Pasadena Star-News/SCNG)
The Dodgers’ Mookie Betts gestures as he runs the bases after hitting a three-run home run during the fifth inning of their game against the Atlanta Braves on Thursday night at Dodger Stadium. (Photo by Keith Birmingham, Pasadena Star-News/SCNG)
The Dodgers’ Mookie Betts reacts after hitting a three-run home run during the fifth inning of their game against the Atlanta Braves on Thursday night at Dodger Stadium. (Photo by Keith Birmingham, Pasadena Star-News/SCNG)
The Dodgers’ Mookie Betts high-fives teammates as he returns to the dugout after hitting a three-run home run during the fifth inning of their game against the Atlanta Braves on Thursday night at Dodger Stadium. (Photo by Keith Birmingham, Pasadena Star-News/SCNG)
The Dodgers’ Mookie Betts smiles in the dugout after hitting a three-run home run during the fifth inning of their game against the Atlanta Braves on Thursday night at Dodger Stadium. (Photo by Keith Birmingham, Pasadena Star-News/SCNG)
The Dodgers’ Mookie Betts smiles in the dugout after hitting a three-run home run during the fifth inning of their game against the Atlanta Braves on Thursday night at Dodger Stadium. (Photo by Keith Birmingham, Pasadena Star-News/SCNG)
The Dodgers’ Mookie Betts gestures as he runs the bases after hitting a solo home run during the seventh inning of their game against the Atlanta Braves on Thursday night at Dodger Stadium. Betts hit a three-run homer earlier in the game. (Photo by Keith Birmingham, Pasadena Star-News/SCNG)
The Dodgers’ Mookie Betts celebrates in the dugout after hitting a solo home run during the seventh inning of their game against the Atlanta Braves on Thursday night at Dodger Stadium. Betts hit a three-run homer earlier in the game. (Photo by Keith Birmingham, Pasadena Star-News/SCNG)
Dodgers right fielder Jason Heyward slides to make a catch on a line drive hit by the Atlanta Braves’ Orlando Arcia during the eighth inning on Thursday night at Dodger Stadium. (Photo by Keith Birmingham, Pasadena Star-News/SCNG)
The Dodgers’ Max Muncy gestures as he runs the bases after hitting a solo home run during the eighth inning of their game against the Atlanta Braves on Thursday night at Dodger Stadium. (Photo by Keith Birmingham, Pasadena Star-News/SCNG)
The Dodgers’ Max Muncy, left, celebrates with teammate David Peralta as he returns to the dugout after hitting a solo home run during the eighth inning of their game against the Atlanta Braves on Thursday night at Dodger Stadium. (Photo by Keith Birmingham, Pasadena Star-News/SCNG)
The Dodgers’ Max Muncy is congratulated in the dugout after hitting a solo home run during the eighth inning of their game against the Atlanta Braves on Thursday night at Dodger Stadium. (Photo by Keith Birmingham, Pasadena Star-News/SCNG)
Atlanta Braves relief pitcher Raisel Iglesias celebrates after the final out of their 8-7 victory over the Dodgers on Thursday night at Dodger Stadium. (Photo by Keith Birmingham, Pasadena Star-News/SCNG)
The Dodgers’ Kike Hernandez walks back to the dugout after striking out in the ninth inning to end their 8-7 loss to the Atlanta Braves on Thursday night at Dodger Stadium. (Photo by Keith Birmingham, Pasadena Star-News/SCNG)
Atlanta Braves relief pitcher Raisel Iglesias, left, celebrates with catcher Sean Murphy after the final out of their 8-7 victory over the Dodgers on Thursday night at Dodger Stadium. (Photo by Keith Birmingham, Pasadena Star-News/SCNG)
Dodgers star Mookie Betts sits in the dugout after their 8-7 loss to the Atlanta Braves on Thursday night at Dodger Stadium. Betts hit two home runs in the loss. (Photo by Keith Birmingham, Pasadena Star-News/SCNG)
LOS ANGELES ― It wasn’t the postseason preview the Dodgers were hoping for, but the Atlanta Braves brought an expected jolt of October to Dodger Stadium on Thursday night.
The star players came out to shine. The Dodgers erased an early deficit to make it close. And their 8-7 loss to Atlanta was decided by the most basic of mistakes.
A throwing error by Dodgers third baseman Max Muncy in the sixth inning allowed the Braves’ No. 9 hitter, Nicky Lopez, to reach second base on a routine ground ball. The next batter, Ronald Acuña Jr., was given a well-earned intentional walk having already collected three hits after getting married earlier in the day. Michael Harris II then delivered the game-winning hit, a single to center field to score Lopez with Atlanta’s eighth and final run.
It was a razor-close margin for two teams unaccustomed to them. The Braves (88-45) and Dodgers (83-50) will begin and end their four-game series with the two best records in the National League. On the first night, they showed why.
Mookie Betts hit two home runs, giving him 51 hits in August, the most by a Dodger since the team left Brooklyn in 1957. Acuña hit a grand slam and stole his 62nd base of the season, making him the first player in major league history with 60 steals and 30 homers in a single season.
Muncy and Michael Busch hit solo home runs for the Dodgers. But with two runners on base in the ninth inning, Muncy could not atone for his earlier error. His towering, 323-foot fly ball to right field fell into Acuña’s glove. Closer Raisel Iglesias then struck out Kiké Hernandez for the game’s final out.
“I think the way they managed their ’pen spoke to how important the game was,” Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said. “The intensity, the quality of at-bats, the energy of the crowd – it had signs of a playoff game.”
Dodgers starter Lance Lynn (10-10) was undone by a familiar foe: the longball. He allowed 1,257 feet worth of homers, none louder than Acuña’s grand slam in the second inning. Lynn also walked in a run with the bases loaded, and allowed a solo shot to Austin Riley, before the second inning was over.
At that point, the Dodgers trailed 6-1 – a larger deficit than they had faced in any of their previous eight games. Lynn recovered to pitch into the fifth inning, but the three homers he allowed did irreparable damage to his ERA as a Dodger, which rose from 2.03 to 3.57.
Lynn allowed seven earned runs in all, doubling the number he’d allowed in five starts since he was acquired in a trade with the Chicago White Sox.
“All in all I wasn’t good tonight,” Lynn said. “I wasn’t comfortable. Didn’t make pitches. And I cost us the game.”
The Dodgers scored first, when Muncy beat out a hard-hit ground ball to avoid a double play and allow Betts to score from third base. Braves starter Spencer Strider (16-4) did not allow another run until Betts’ three-run home run in the fifth inning.
Strider, the National League leader in strikeouts and a candidate for the Cy Young Award, allowed four runs on four hits, walked two batters and struck out nine.
A single by Jason Heyward and a walk by James Outman gave the Dodgers runners on first and second with none out in the fifth. Strider came back to retire Busch and Amed Rosario on a flyout and a strikeout, respectively, then took Betts to a full count.
Betts then pummeled a 99-mph fastball from Strider to right field, 371 feet from home plate, where it bounced off the top of the padded wall.
“His fastball in general is really, really tough to hit,” Betts said of Strider. “I was just kind of battling, put a good swing on a pitch. I think he did most of the heavy lifting for me. I’m just glad it went over.”
Betts and Busch both bashed homers in the seventh inning against Joe Jimenez. Busch’s second major league homer landed in the first row of seats in the right field pavilion. Betts’ career-high 38th home run of 2023 – and the 250th of his career – raced out to left field, bringing the Dodgers within 8-6.
Muncy’s eighth-inning home run, a solo blast against A.J. Minter, tied a franchise record by giving him an extra-base hit in nine consecutive games. Johnny Roseboro was the last Dodger to do it in 1961. For a moment, it helped erase the sting of his earlier error.
“You do something stupid on the field, you can’t let it linger,” Muncy said. “It happened, it’s over, you have to move on. You have to make the next couple plays hit at you. There’s still a chance to make an impact on the game. It doesn’t end right there.”
