Steve Webb
Game 148, 9/14/2024: Dodgers 1, Braves 10
ATLANTA, GA — Jack Flaherty‘s performance on Saturday against the Atlanta Braves stood in stark contrast to his strong outing the previous Sunday. Flaherty, who had been effective in recent starts, struggled mightily with his control, which led to an early exit and a decisive loss for the Dodgers.
Flaherty’s inability to consistently find the strike zone set the tone early. By the third inning, it became clear that he wasn’t in the same form that had earned him a win in his last appearance. A four-pitch walk to Marcell Ozuna and a wild pitch that advanced runners underscored his struggles, contributing to Atlanta’s breakout inning.
After giving up an RBI double to Matt Olson in the first inning, Flaherty seemed to settle briefly, recording four strikeouts in his first two innings. However, his troubles escalated in the third, when he allowed three more runs. A two-out, three-run double by Orlando Arcia put the Braves up 4-1, highlighting Flaherty’s command issues. In total, he walked four batters over his three innings, a telling sign of his erratic outing.
With Flaherty’s pitch count climbing rapidly — 83 pitches in just three innings — the Dodgers had no choice but to pull him from the game, and Atlanta capitalized on the situation. Reliever Alex Vesia managed to stabilize things momentarily with two scoreless innings, but the damage was done.
Meanwhile, the Dodgers couldn’t solve Cy-Young-in-waiting Chris Sale. The only damage they managed against the rejuvenated lefty was an RBI single from Sale’s old Red Sox teammate Mookie Betts. And that was about it for the offense in this one. The Ohtani watch goes another day with no change: Shohei drew a first inning walk but was quickly erased on a double play ball, and went 0-for-2 otherwise. He remains stuck at 47 home runs and 48 stolen bases.
The Braves’ offense continued to pour on runs in the later innings. A six-run sixth inning, fueled by Olson’s second double of the game and a costly throwing error by Mookie Betts, put the game well out of reach. Atlanta’s relentless approach at the plate, combined with Flaherty’s struggles, was the difference. Olson, Arcia, and Whit Merrifield led the charge, with Olson’s four RBIs driving home the Braves’ offensive dominance.
For Flaherty, it was a night to forget. He ended the game with five hits, four earned runs, and those four crucial walks. His control issues, particularly in the third inning, made it difficult for him to work out of jams, and the Braves capitalized on every mistake. Once he was out of the ballgame, the bullpen didn’t do him any favors either. After Alex Vesia was solid for two scoreless innings, the sixth inning blew up on Evan Phillips and the game was out of reach. By the eighth, it was “position-player-pitching time” as Kike Hernandez took to the mound (and acutally threw a scoreless frame).
As the Dodgers continue to battle for the top spot in the NL West, they’ll need Flaherty to bounce back quickly. With key games on the horizon, the team will be looking for more stability from their rotation as they push toward October.
The team has 24 hours to regroup before Sunday Night Baseball on ESPN. It’ll be a 4:10 first pitch with Walker Buehler still looking to find it on the mound for the Dodgers with crafty curveballin’ Charlie Morton (8-8, 4.11 ERA, 155 SO) on the bump for the Braves. Hopes are not great for this one, but let’s see if the boys have a comeback in them for this series.
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