The Sports Xchange
Aug 2, 2017
ATLANTA -- Pinch-hitter Tyler Flowers hit a two-run homer with two outs in the eighth inning to lift the Atlanta Braves to a 5-3 victory over Los Angeles on Wednesday night, ending the Dodgers nine-game winning streak.
After rookie Johan Camargo coaxed a walk, Flowers connected on the first pitch from reliever Pedro Baez (3-2) for his ninth home run. It was the first pinch-hit homer for Flowers and broke Atlanta's six-game losing streak.
The loss broke a 53-game streak in which the Dodgers had won when leading at any point.
The winning pitcher was Rex Brothers (2-2), who worked 1 2/3 innings of scoreles relief and struck out pinch-hitter Enrique Hernandez with two runners on base in the seventh inning.
Arodys Vizcaino pitched a scoreless ninth inning to earn his third save.
Los Angeles starter Brock Stewart, a converted reliever, was limited to 66 pitches in four innings and allowed two runs on three hits and three walks. Atlanta's Julio Teheran left after five innings and 64 pitches, having allowed three runs on four hits with four strikeouts.
The Dodgers jumped ahead 1-0 in the second inning when Cody Bellinger hit a solo homer to center, his 30th. The home run matched the National League rookie record for left-handed batters set by Philadelphia's Willie Montanez in 1971.
The Braves took a 2-1 lead in the bottom half when Danny Santana lifted a two-run homer to right, his third. They were the first runs allowed this season by Stewart.
The Dodgers squared things at 2-2 with a run in the fourth. Chris Taylor was hit by a pitch, stole second, aggressively went to third on a fly to right and scored on Joc Pederson's hard-hit groundout to first base.
Los Angeles took a 3-2 lead in the fifth. Yasiel Puig doubled and scored on Chase Utley's single to left.
Atlanta evened it at 3-3 in the bottom of the fifth when Freddie Freeman drove in Ender Inciarte with a single to center.
NOTES: The Dodgers activated RHP Yu Darvish, who was acquired from Texas on Monday. Darvish will make his debut with the team Friday when it begins its three-game series in New York against the Mets. RHP Josh Ravin was optioned to Triple-A Oklahoma City to make room for Darvish. ... Veteran Atlanta INF Brandon Phillips played third base for the first time in his major league career Tuesday. Phillips was moved from second base to make room for Ozzie Albies, the team's top infield prospect. ... Atlanta's Matt Adams was not in the starting lineup Tuesday. He got his first start in left field Monday and left the game in the fifth inning with dizziness. ... Los Angeles LHP Rich Hill was named National League Pitcher of the Month for July. Hill was 4-0 with a 1.45 ERA, striking out 40 and walking five in 31 innings.