Emmet Sheehan Shines, Bullpen Thrives In Dodgers' Win Over Braves

Here a nine-figure salary, location a nine-figure salary, seemingly everyplace a nine-figure salary. There are not excessively galore nights erstwhile you tin constituent to a position and opportunity nan man playing a definite position for nan Dodgers makes $17 cardinal little this play than nan opposing subordinate astatine nan aforesaid position.

This was 1 of them. The Atlanta Braves are paying Chris Sale, nan nine-time All-Star, $18 cardinal this season. The Dodgers are paying Emmet Sheehan a small little than $1 million.

You mightiness not person stake connected this result successful nan sports books aliases prediction markets: The Dodgers won.

Not because your location squad has abruptly go a plucky underdog, moreover if nan Braves (26-13) person a amended record. The Dodgers (24-14) dented Sale for 3 runs successful 7 innings — 1 connected a location tally by Freddie Freeman ($27 cardinal this year), 1 connected a double by Kyle Tucker ($55 million), and 1 connected a azygous by Shohei Ohtani ($70 million).

Final score: Dodgers 3, Braves 1.

Two of nan Dodgers’ pitching stars connected Friday arrived successful Los Angeles together, successful a little-noticed waste and acquisition that now stands retired arsenic 1 of Andrew Friedman’s best. In nan 5th inning, Alex Vesia relieved Sheehan and induced a two-on, two-out alert retired from Matt Olson, who mightiness beryllium nan National League’s astir valuable subordinate to date.

In nan sixth inning, Kyle Hurt stranded 2 runners connected guidelines to complete a scoreless inning and little his earned-run mean to 0.90. In 2021, Friedman acquired Vesia and Hurt from nan Miami Marlins for mediate reliever Dylan Floro.

Will Klein, Brock Stewart and Tanner Scott vanished disconnected nan Braves connected a nighttime nan bullpen delivered 4⅓ shutout innings.

Vesia’s one-batter, one-out capacity earned him his first triumph of nan season, pinch Scott moving nan ninth for nan save.

Each squad scored erstwhile successful nan 2nd inning, pinch nan Dodgers adding an unearned tally successful nan 5th connected nan Ohtani azygous and a last tally successful nan sixth connected Freeman’s 4th location tally — and first since April 6.

It is not that Sheehan outpitched Sale. But Sheehan sounded good enough, against a very bully force and a very bully opposing pitcher, for nan Dodgers to see this progress.

“This is going to beryllium a bully test,” Dodgers head Dave Roberts said earlier nan game.

Sheehan fired his fastballs from 94-96 mph successful nan first 3 innings, and six of his first 8 outs were strikeouts. His fastball velocity dropped into nan 92-93 mph scope successful nan 4th and 5th inning, and 4 of his last 8 batters reached base.

The statement was bully enough: 1 tally complete 4⅔ innings, pinch 1 locomotion and 7 strikeouts. How agelong nan Dodgers mightiness instrumentality pinch a pitcher pinch a 4.79 ERA could beryllium wished by really agelong Tyler Glasnow stays connected nan injured list. Glasnow deed nan IL Friday because of backmost spasms, truthful nan mobility of whom nan Dodgers driblet from nan rotation to make room for Blake Snell is moot for now. The Dodgers scheme to activate Snell from nan injured database Saturday and commencement him against nan Braves.

The Dodgers dream to activate shortstop Mookie Betts from nan IL Monday, and nan mobility of whom nan Dodgers driblet from their roster could beryllium wished successful portion by nan position of Miguel Rojas, who near nan crippled successful nan eighth inning. Rojas tripped getting retired of nan batter’s container successful nan 2nd inning, slid difficult into location sheet successful nan 5th inning, and was deed arsenic he took a propulsion successful nan sixth.