Dodgers Recap: Comeback falls 90 feet short as LA lose finale in ATL
ATLANTA — Almost! The Dodgers came within 90 feet of tying Sunday night’s game in Atlanta, but a dominant ninth-inning performance by Braves closer Raisel Iglesias sealed a 4–3 win for the home team. Despite a late push powered by a Miguel Rojas pinch-hit homer and some aggressive baserunning, Los Angeles dropped just its second game in the last nine and saw its seven-game winning streak come to an end.
It was a frustrating night for the National League West leaders, who outhit the Braves 7–6 and held Atlanta scoreless after the third inning, but went 0-for-10 with runners in scoring position.
Riley Strikes Twice Early
The Braves jumped on Dustin May in the opening frame, thanks to a leadoff walk to Alex Verdugo followed by a two-run homer from Austin Riley. Riley struck again in the third with another two-run blast — his second of the night — this time to straightaway center. It was Riley’s seventh and eighth home runs of the season, and all four of Atlanta’s runs came off his bat.
May, who fell to 1–2 on the year, gave up five hits and two walks over 5.2 innings, striking out six. After the third inning, he settled in, retiring six of the last seven batters he faced.
Dodgers Chip Away
Offensively, Los Angeles didn’t get much going early against Bryce Elder, who worked five innings of two-run ball. After going hitless through the first two frames, the Dodgers broke through in the fourth. Teoscar Hernández reached on a single, and Max Muncy brought him home with a double to right, putting L.A. on the board.
An inning later, the Dodgers made it 4–2. A walk by Mookie Betts and a single from Freddie Freeman chased Elder from the game. With two runners on, a wild pitch from reliever Pierce Johnson advanced both runners, and Muncy cashed in Betts with a groundout to second.
The big swing came in the seventh. Miguel Rojas, pinch-hitting for Michael Conforto, launched his first home run of the season — a solo shot to left off Dylan Lee — cutting the deficit to one. It was Rojas’s third RBI of the year and the Dodgers’ first home run in the series.
Missed Chances Down the Stretch
The Dodgers had opportunities to pull even, but struggled in the clutch. They left six runners on base and couldn’t come through in several key moments. In the seventh, after Rojas’s homer, Shohei Ohtani ripped a double, but Betts grounded out to end the inning.
In the ninth, Andy Pages led off with a single and was replaced by pinch-runner Hyeseong Kim, who promptly stole second and advanced to third on a strikeout that wasn’t fielded cleanly at the plate. With the tying run just 90 feet away, Iglesias bore down and struck out both Rojas and Austin Barnes to end the game.
The Braves bullpen combined for four innings of one-run ball, allowing just three hits and striking out seven. Iglesias recorded his sixth save despite allowing a leadoff single.
Top Performers
Ohtani reached base twice, walking once and doubling late. In addition to his clutch homer, Rojas came up with a couple of sweet defensive plays in the late innings, including an unbelievable 3-4-1 putout of Matt Olson. And Max Muncy, who continues to show steady improvement at the dish, drove in two with a double and a groundout.
For the Braves, Riley was the difference-maker. His two home runs and four RBIs accounted for all of Atlanta’s scoring. Verdugo added two runs and a hit at the top of the order.
The Dodgers bullpen — including Jack Dreyer, Luis García, and Anthony Banda — held Atlanta scoreless over the final 2.1 innings. Banda in particular was effective, facing four batters and retiring three, while also picking off Eli White in the eighth.
What It Means
While the late push wasn’t enough this time, the Dodgers continue to show the depth and fight that has defined their strong start to 2025. The Dodgers fell to 23–11 but still hold the top spot in the NL West. Atlanta improved to 15–18, getting a much-needed boost from Riley’s bat and their bullpen. Despite the loss, the Dodgers showed resilience, keeping the game close after falling behind early.
L.A. will look to bounce back in the next series, a three-gamer with the Marlins. The Dodgers pretty much had their way with the Fish in Chavez Ravine, so it will be interesting to see if that momentum can carry over once they hit South Beach. Ben Casparius is slated for the start, which figures to be a bullpen-ish game. But if they can get a solid four or five out of Casparius to start things off, that will set up the rest of the week quite nicely. Game time will be 3:40 PDT, so find an excuse to sneak out of work early and head to the sports bar.
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